


From the Beast Within

by AkiAki_Burst



Series: The Inner Beast [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-06 14:27:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 75,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1861329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiAki_Burst/pseuds/AkiAki_Burst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the defeat of Voldemort Harry thought life would ease up, and he could finally have the life of quiet he always wanted. However a plot to throw him in Azkaban had him running to America with Teddy for sanctuary from the people he thought he could trust. Now Harry must learn to care for a baby while keeping both of them safe and hidden, but life and love have a way of finding you when you least expect it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Betrayal and Starting Anew

**Author's Note:**

> First things first, cause apparently this needs to be said....I do not own the Harry Potter or Marvel universes, they have other owners, and I am not making any money from this. Now on to the other crap.......
> 
> This is an AU so that means that 'shit be different', also because this is fan fiction I'm allowed to tweak things to fit what I need. I'm trying to keep them as 'oc' as possible but we all know how that goes. 
> 
> This will be a slow burn fic, as I don't like the whole "Hey I just met you; and this is crazy; but here's my bed; Let me fuck you maybe". 
> 
> I'll try and post as often as I can but I make no promises, 
> 
> Now on to the show...... This was beta'd by my bestie/roommate 'Koraki'  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   He wasn't sure how long he stood there staring at the spot where the man who had tormented him throughout his life had been. It was over, finally he could be free to live his life by his own standards. Blinking Harry looked around at the chaos that surrounded him, the noise from the survivors finally making it's way to his awareness. There was so much rubble and debris scattered all around the grounds of Hogwarts that the school was hardly recognizable to the once magnificent castle it once was.

     Bodies were strewn everywhere he looked, and Harry couldn't help the pang in his heart as he thought of the lives lost and the families that remained behind. It didn't matter to him weather the life lost belonged to a Death Eater or an Order Member, a death was a death no matter who it was. However when he caught sight of the students that fought beside him, he couldn't help the tears that ran freely down his face. They were so young, much too young to lose their life in such a way. Blinking back the tears that continued to fall down his cheeks he turned from the lifeless body of Tom Riddle and walked toward the remains of the castle. He really needed his family and friends, he needed to see if they were all ok.

   Harry was halfway to the stairs leading to the doors that somehow were still standing, when the twins grabbed him by the arms and pulled him to the side. Harry blinked up at their faces that used to be identical, now it was too easy to tell them apart. Glancing at the vacant space George's ear used to be Harry couldn't help but wince knowing that it was all his fault. If the Weasley's hadn’t welcomed him into their lives George would still have his ear, Percy would have never left the family the way he did and Bill wouldn’t be scarred forever by a werewolf and have to live his life with the angry and scared looks he would receive because of the wolf traits the man would now have. Lowering his head Harry blinked back the fresh torrent of tears that wanted to fall. He couldn’t break down, not now, not in front of the twins.

    Harry was startled out of his self loathing by a gentle hand tilting his head up to look into the bright blue eyes of Fred Weasley. “Stop what you’re thinking Harry. It’s not your fault, none of this is your fault.” Nodding George stepped forward and slipped his arm around Harry’s shoulders, squeezing him close to his chest. “Fred is right, we don’t blame you for anything, and neither does the rest of the family.”

    Harry couldn’t help the choked sob that slipped from his throat as he clung to George. The arms that slipped around him from the back had his tears falling again, running is torrents down his cheeks. He clung to the twins as it became harder to breathe, gasping as he tried to fill his aching lungs with oxygen. After a few minutes he became aware of the hands rubbing against him a soothing motion, George rubbing circles on his back and Fred running soft hands through his hair. Breathing deeply to calm himself Harry mumbled out a quiet ‘Thank You’ and pulled back from the twins, gifting them with a small thankful smile. Both redheads returned the smile and waved off his thanks, “It’s what you do-” Fred started, “-for family” both twins finished. Harry nodded, thankful for the support the two were handing out, even though he felt he didn’t deserve it but he wasn’t going to complain.

     Harry started to turn back to walk into the school but his arm was grabbed again to keep him from moving. He turned back opening his mouth to question the twins only to stop short at the look in their eyes. He had never seen the twins with such a serious look, even when helping him escape from the Dursleys over the summer did they have such a look. Harry soon realized that he wasn’t going to like whatever they had to say. “What’s wrong?” Harry’s nerves shot even higher when the two glanced at each other and seemed to have an entire conversation in the span of a second.  “The other day some of the Order came to talk with Mum and Dad about what was going to happen after the final battle and you survived”, Fred said quietly. “We overheard them talking to our parents about how a source close to you told them that it was possible when you defeat the Dark Lord that you would absorb some or all of his power-”. George took over for his brother when he made a pained noise and grasped Harry’s arm, “-and that it could drive you insane or push you into becoming the next Dark Lord.”

    Harry’s eyes widened in shock as he processed the statement only to shake his head in disbelief, “What did Molly say?” Fred tightened his grip on Harry and looked at him sharply, “What do you think she said? She in no polite terms told them to get the fuck out of the house and to take their nonsense elsewhere.” George nodded along as his brother spoke and started speaking as soon as he was done, “She warned us to get to you first and to get you out of here while she gets Charlie to distract the Order and the Aurors.” Green eyes locked with two pairs of bright blue and he couldn’t help but ask, “Why, you do realize how much trouble your family will get into if they find out?!” The twins couldn’t help but smile and pass him a bag and spoke in tandem, “It’s like we told you, it’s what you do for family.”  Harry grabbed the bag and pulled each twin into a hug, “Thank you, and tell your Mum and Dad thanks for me too.”

    “No problem, take care little brother and live for you.” Fred ruffled his hair and stepped back to let George hug Harry. “Go find Bill, Harry he’ll get you out of here and someplace safe.” Harry looked sadly at the twins knowing in his heart this would be the last time he saw them. Blinking back tears he nodded and ran off to find the eldest Weasley son. Before he got too far he heard one of the twins whisper loud enough for him to hear, “Don’t trust anyone Harry, go straight to Bill.” He glanced over his shoulder and nodded showing he heard the warning.

     Once Harry was out of sight the twins released a sigh and leaned on each other. “You think he’ll make it out ok?” Fred asked, eyes not leaving the spot Harry disappeared from. George turned to face the other redhead and took in a deep breath slowly releasing it, “All we can do now is have faith in him, Bill and Charlie. It’s up to them.” Finally taking his eyes of the vacant spot where their little brother left from Fred spared a quick glance at George and then turned to focus on the Order members roaming the battlefield looking for Harry and closed his eyes. “You’re right, it’s up to them now.”

     The serious look on Fred’s face made George uncomfortable, thinking quickly he tossed his arm over Fred’s shoulders and smiled at him, “Don’t worry, this is Harry we’re talking about. If anyone can do this it will be him.” Giving a thankful smile Fred nodded, “You’re right again, I’m worrying over nothing. Bill and Charlie will get him out, and I swear Harry has the luck of a Saint.” Straightening up both twins reached in their pockets for their wands and shot each other an evil smile that gave no illusions as to why they were referred to as the Demon Twins of Gryffindor. “However we can always make their jobs easier, shall we Forge?” “Indeed we shall Gred.” With a quiet chuckle both ran off to make some trouble to give Harry even a second more time to get away.

    Harry quickly ran across the grounds of the school as he searched for the eldest Weasley son with little luck. Deciding quickly he ducked behind some rubble to rethink his plan, he glanced around to see if he could spot any redheads only to smile as he spotted Hermione. Harry slowly started making his way toward the bushy haired girl only to stop short when he noticed Kingsley Shacklebolt walk towards her with a grimace on his face. “Have you seen him anywhere, I didn’t see where he went off too after he defeated the Dark Lord?” Harry watched quietly as Kingsley released a sigh and ran weary hands over his face. Hermione shook her and made a frustrated sound, “No, but I did warn you. All that extra magic was bound to mess with his head, we need to find him before he hurts someone.” The older wizard just nodded his head and looked at the young woman in front of him with sad eyes. “I didn’t want to believe you, I was praying that you were wrong, that he was stronger than that.”

     Harry widened his eyes at the unlady like noise that escaped the girls mouth, however it was the comment that followed that shocked him to the core leaving his soul hurting with betrayal, “Please, he may have more magic than most but he has no control and a weak mind that will leave him open to the darkness from Voldemort’s soul.” Hermione tossed a smirk at Kingsley and stuck her nose in air in a move that was clearly meant to show that she knew more than the older Auror. “With the way the Dursleys treated him as long as you show him a little bit of affection he’ll be putty in your hands.” Kingsley blinked at her and tilted his head in question, “What do you mean about his treatment at the Dursleys?”  Hermione scoffed, “You can’t tell me you didn’t know?” At Kingsley’s continued confused expression, Hermione explained Harry’s life in extremely simple terms, “The Dursleys hated him, he was made to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs for 11 years and they treated him like a house elf. He was made to cook and clean from the moment he could stand in front of the stove and if he messed up he was punished.”

     With each passing moment Kingsley’s eyes widened in horror and he listened to the girl’s blase explanation of the treatment her supposed best friend went through in his young life. She didn’t seem to notice the way Kingsley was looking at her and continued with her story, “Sometimes they would beat him but mostly they starved him of food. His cousin Dudley used to pick on him for sport and his parents never told him not too. In fact I think they encouraged it.” Hermione finally focused on the shocked wizard and snorted at the look on his face, “So now you see why we need to find him, he’ll still be in shock and easy to manipulate until we can seal his magic.”

     Before Kingsley could respond a loud explosion was heard from area by the gates that separated the castle from the small village of Hogsmeade. Harry took a chance and looked over the edge of the stone he was hiding behind and couldn’t help but smile at the chaos the twins were causing. Sending a mental thanks Harry shifted back and started to creep along the behind the rubble only to stop short when he caught the eyes of Kingsley Shacklebolt, and a whispered ‘fuck’ slipped past his lips. Moments slipped past and neither man moved until Kingsley bowed his head and shifted slightly to block Harry completely from view. “Leave, quickly.” Smiling at the elder man, Harry returned the bow and quickly slunk by the Auror only to freeze when the whispered words reached his ears, “Take Teddy with you, his father is a werewolf and with no one here to look after him he’ll end up in an orphanage.”

     Harry gulped quietly and let his mind quickly flicker to his baby godson who lost his family much too soon. Harry himself was only 17 could he really take are of a baby on his own, there was so much he didn’t know about babies. He was going to tell Kingsley that there was no way for him to take him, as much as it pained him to say. Little Teddy would be better off with his Grandmother Andromeda, after all she had raised Tonks to be a wonderful woman and she would have no problem with the potential wolf side Teddy could carry because of Remus. Harry opened his mouth to respond to the bald man only to stop dead in his tracks with a cold dread filling his heart and soul at the next whispered words from the elder man’s mouth, “Or he could end up being killed just because of his father’s creature status.” Swallowing back the bile that threatened to rise at the thought of a small innocent baby being condemned to death because of something he had no control over.

     Glancing out the corner of his eye and the wizard who was blocking him from capture he whispered, “Andromeda?” Closing his eyes with a sad sigh Kingsley shook his head, “She can’t look after him, she just lost her husband, daughter and son-in-law all in one shot. We had to give her a calming draught and send her to Saint Mungo’s until she calmed down.” Eyes snapping open Kingsley turned a fierce and pleading glare on Harry and the desperation was clear in his voice, “He has no one else now Harry, you are the only hope that little boy has. And I know this is unfair of to me to ask you this way, but I can’t sit by and watch the son of two of the most amazing people I’ve ever worked with end up in an orphanage or worse killed because people are closed minded and can’t look past something that happens once a month.” Harry looked at Kingsley for a good minute studying the man before him for any hint of a lie. The man before him didn’t more or shift his eyes from Harry’s inspection and sighed in relief when Harry’s eyes softened and spoke 3 words that lifted a huge weight from his shoulders. “Where is he?”

    After getting the location of his Godson Harry hurried along trying to find Bill in the madness of people running around trying to figure out why small explosions kept going off. Snickering slightly to himself Harry eased himself around a corner and a triumphant grin stole its way across his face, he had spotted Bill. Quickly making his way to the eldest redheaded son, Harry quietly called out to him. “Bill…….Bill….” When the redhead turned in his direction Harry smiled and felt a small burst of warmth at the relieved smile that crossed Bill’s face. “Hurry Harry, we need to slip out of here before anyone notices. Mum has another bag for you at the Burrow with your cloak, clothes and an ‘never ending pouch’ she loaded with gold from your vault along with some family heirlooms and photos of everyone.” Harry blinked at the amount of forethought in the whole situation and cocked his head to the side in question. Bill only smiled and ruffled the raven hair that covered Harry’s head, “We’ve had a lot of time to plan this and I know you have questions but we need to leave now.” Nodding Harry latched onto Bill when the curse breaker held his arm out to the teen, and spoke quickly before they apparated out. “Before we head to the Burrow we need to stop somewhere else and carry out a kidnapping.”

    Harry and Bill popped outside a small single story house on the outskirts of London in a quiet little town. The two separated and looked around the area checking to see if any  order members were hanging around guarding newly orphaned Teddy. Bill turned to Harry and motioned him forward, both knew they had a very short window to get in and get Teddy. Cautiously walking toward the house both wizards peeked in through the windows on the first floor. The house was dark and silent, so the boys crept to the back door and with a whispered ‘Alohomora’ the door clicked open. Being the smaller of the two Harry quietly snuck in and waved Bill in when he noticed no one was around, and they made their way toward the back of the house. Harry walked to the first closed door he came to and slowly opened it and peeked around, seeing it was a bathroom he closed the door and headed to the next door with Bill starting on the opposite side of the hall.

     Harry turned when he heard Bill’s happy noise, “Over here Harry, I found him.” Harry quickly made his way to Bill’s side and looked in the room, seeing the crib in the center of the room he slowly slinked toward it. He looked down at the baby resting there and couldn’t help but smile. Teddy looked adorable clothed in a simple onesie and light brown hair, so much like Remus’ that it made his throat tighten and his green eyes water a bit. He was snapped out of his musing by Bill coming into the room with him and looking over his shoulder at the tiny baby.

"We need to get out of here, I don't know when someone will come check on him." Harry nodded and slowly reached down lifting the sleeping baby into his arms adjusting him slightly to get a comfortable hold on him. He let out a relieved sigh when Teddy stayed asleep and slowly followed Bill back outside so they could apparate safely.  Once they were a safe distance Bill pulled Harry into his arms and held on tightly. "Hold him tightly,  this may wake him up." Harry’s only response was to tighten his hold on Teddy and nod to Bill when he was confident he wouldn’t drop or hurt him. “Ok, Here we go.” WIth that the three of them popped away from the small house without a backward glance. The only signs of their visit was the empty crib and the soft pop that followed when they left.

    Arriving at the Burrow safely was a huge relief for Harry. He glanced around the familiar overgrown yard teaming with gnomes and allowed his eyes to rest on the Weasley household. The tall slanted house was a welcome sight after all he had seen that day, and he let himself be led by Bill towards the backdoor to the kitchen where he could hear someone moving around in. Pushing open the door Bill allowed Harry to enter first and the 17 year old was immediately assaulted by the smell of fresh baked bread and something simmering in a pot on the stove. The next was the safety and warmth of Mrs. Weasley and she wrapped her arms around him careful of the precious bundle in his arms.  Harry felt the tension flow out of him and the soothing scent of fresh cookies with an undertone of something earthy that always surrounded the elder woman and rested his forehead against her shoulder sagging slightly. Running gentle hands through his hair the Weasley matron led him to a chair for him to sit and rest.

     Finally sitting down after the many hours of running and fighting Harry leaned back and closed his eyes letting the tension of the war run through him. WIth nothing left to do his mind bounced to all those lost during the whole futile war; Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, Snape, Mad-Eye, Dobby, little Dennis and Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown and so many others. They all died too soon and for a pointless cause, if only they had found the horcruxes sooner, if only they had killed Nagini faster, if only he had been better and stronger. Harry felt the tears coming and gripped Teddy tighter to his chest, resting his nose in the mop of brown hair atop his head. Harry sniffed letting the crisp scent of innocence and fresh air fill his senses and remind him that others were still alive, that even though many died, even more lived. Harry wasn’t sure how long he sat there breathing deeply attempting to calm down before he became aware of the hands running circles on his back and the soft words of comfort whispered.

     He raised his head and looked into the understanding eyes of Molly Weasley and let out a choked sob and all but flung himself into her arms careful of Teddy sleeping between them. Molly didn’t say anything else just held onto the sobbing child, because that’s all he really was, a 17 year old boy who was forced to go up faster than he should have. She clutched him tighter to her chest and felt her own eyes mist over, but she wouldn’t cry not right now not when Harry needed the support. She needed to be strong for him and help him when no one else would. Glancing at Bill she quietly asked for a glass of water, then turned her attention back to the shivering boy in her arms. “Harry, sweetie look at me.” When her brown eyes met striking green she gave him a small smile, “It’s not your fault Harry, none of this is.” When he opened his mouth to argue otherwise she placed a hand over his mouth and leveled him with a fierce glare and bopped him on the head with her free hand. “Now you listen to me Harry James Potter, this is not your fault. All the blame lies solely with that vile man and his horrible followers, a little of it also lies with us.”

     At his wide eyes Molly laughed lightly at him removing her hand from his mouth and reached out for the glass Bill was handing over, “It’s true, We put so much pressure on you to be the savior and protect an entire civilization that we forgot you were only a child.” Molly ran a hand over the sleeping baby and handed Harry the glass with her other, calmly waiting while he adjusted Teddy in the crook of his arm, gratefully taking the cool water and drinking it greedily. Harry sighed and leaned on the matron’s shoulder taking all the comfort he could he could get knowing that this might be the last time he would feel the warmth from the only mother figure he’d ever known. Sensing that Harry needed the friendly touch Molly merely wrapped her arm around his shoulder keeping him close and running fingers through his messy hair.

    Bill bit his bottom lip and looked at his mother and Harry resting on the couch not wanting to ruin the moment but knowing that things needed to be spoken about. Murmuring softly to himself Bill plopped in the chair opposite the two hugging and softly coughed to get their attention. Seeing both pairs of eyes on him Bill spoke softly not wanting to wake the surprisingly still sleeping baby, “Harry we need to talk about what’s going to happen now. I’m sorry to do this now but we don’t have long and now we need to make sure we get everything for Teddy as well.” Harry nodded to show he understood and rested his hand over Teddy’s stomach, “Yeah, so how am I getting out of here and where am I going?” Bill leaned back and crossed one long leg over the other at the ankles, “I’ll be taking you to Gringotts after we get all your things together and get what we’ll need for Teddy, they’ll be giving you a portkey somewhere that we won’t know about, that way we can’t give out any information even my accident.” A thoughtful frown crossed Harry’s face, “Why would the Goblins help me after what I did? I mean I did break in, steal from them and then set a fully grown dragon loose in the bank!” Bill and Molly stared shocked at the green eyed wizard for a moment before laughing loudly.

     “You did WHAT?” A new voice asked stunned from the doorway. Three sets of eyes darted a look at the doorway only to breathe out a sigh in relief at the tired form of Charlie Weasley. The second son was holding a backpack in his hand and looking at them with wide eyes that were darting back and forth from Harry to the baby resting safely in the raven’s arms. Harry snorted at the look on the stocky redhead and quickly explained what happened in the bank before him, Ron, and Hermione made their way to Hogwarts. “So I don’t really see how the Goblins would agree to help me of all people.” Harry finished quietly. The three redheads were all staring at Harry in shock with wide eyes, and Molly was gripping Harry tighter to herself in fear of what her youngest boys had gone through to protect them all. As she looked at the boy, no Man she told herself, beside her she couldn’t help but feel an amazing amount of pride and astonishment at what they had done throughout their schooling. From the look on her eldest sons faces she could tell they felt the same, but there was also sadness in their eyes. Sadness that this 17 year old muggle raised boy had the expectations of the world shoved on his shoulders since he was only a year old and has been in the middle of a war since turning 11.

    Molly shared a quick look with her sons and held her arm out for the backpack Charlie still had tucked beside him. “In here is everything you’ll need for a while. It’s got clothes, books, toiletries, some basic potions; pain, sleep, muscle relaxant, dittany, and a couple others, there is also a fully stocked potions kit in case you need to brew any more.” Molly reached in the bag and pulled out a smaller draw string bag and handed it over to Harry. “In here is almost the entire contents of your vaults from Gringotts; both the Potter and Black ones since Sirius made you the Black heir. I also went ahead and had the goblins convert some of the coins to Muggle money just in case.” Harry opened the small bag and could vaguely see stacks of gold, copper and silver coins along with the paper money used in the Muggle world. He could also spot random heirlooms dotted throughout the stacks as well. Harry closed the pouch and tossed it back in the backpack in easy reach for him. “Thank you, all of you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”

     The Weasleys just smiled and waved off the thanks saying that families didn’t need thank yous. Molly turned to Bill and shot a mischievous at her eldest son that had him swallowing and cautiously watching his mother. “Bill, sweetie, since you are the only one married with a lovely wife it won’t look strange for you go and pick up baby things, so I’m going to need you to go to Stellar Baby Emporium and pick up all the things little Teddy will need.” Bill’s jaw dropped as he stared at his mother ignoring the snickering from the other two men in the room. “Mum you can’t be serious, Fleur and I have only been married a few months, what do you think she is gonna say when she finds out I went out and bought a full stock of baby things?” Molly merely smiled and raised one fine red eyebrow, “Well do you expect Charlie to go? He’s gay and it would look very strange for him to be buying newborn things, and Harry can’t do it for obvious reasons.”

      Realizing she had a point Bill grumbled to himself and tried his last excuse dejectedly, “I have no clue what to even buy though.” Still smiling Molly just handed him a small bag of galleons, eyes twinkling madly at Bill’s embarrassment, “Don’t worry about that, just tell one of the workers that you need the works for a new baby boy.” Standing she pulled him to his feet and started shooing him out of the house, “Be quick Bill, we need to get him out of here soon.” Eyes narrowing Bill saluted his mother and waved to Harry and Charlie and popped away leaving the others staring at the empty space he once stood in.

While Bill was out at Stellar’s Molly took a just waking Teddy from Harry pushing him softly toward the bathroom, “I’ll look after him for a while. You need to go get clean and change, when you come back out I’ll give you a crash course on taking care of a baby.” Not giving him a chance to respond Molly walked away cooing softly at the fussy baby. Smiling at Molly’s back Harry turned fully into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He walked over and turned on the shower in the large shower turning the knobs to get the temperature he wanted, once it was set right he stepped back and started removing the grimey blood covered clothes tossing them in the corner of the cluttered bathroom. There really wasn’t much space for him to move to around too much, most of the space taken up by the large claw-footed tub that was stained after years of use. A counter; scattered with 9 toothbrushes and about 5 different types of toothpastes, 9 brushes and other random beauty products and an inset sink also discolored by years of use.  Between the two stood the lone toilet, with towels and fresh clothes resting on the closed lid.

      Harry looked at himself in the mirror over the sink and grimaced at the amount of dirt, blood and other random grime that covered his bruised and broken body. He was still much too small and  thin for someone his age, but then again years of being starved, beaten and locked in a small cupboard was bound to mess with his development. Harry stood at a meager height of 5’4 and weighed only around 103 pounds, slightly better than what he started as but still too small for someone his height. Exhaling gingerly Harry slipped his glasses off his face and set them on the counter, then stepped into the warm spray of the shower. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there letting the water just run over him watching the muck that had collected on him swirl down the drain. Once the water that was running off him turned clear he began washing himself with the soaps and shampoos  that were resting along the rim of the tub.

     Once finished Harry shut off the shower and slipped out of the shower, grabbing the towel and wiping himself down. Once he dried off Harry grabbed the fresh clothes and pulled them on not really paying attention to what he was wearing. Stepping out into the hall Harry followed the noise to find Molly and Charlie cooing at the little form of Teddy wiggling on the floor between them. Harry smiled at the scene in front of him, his heart clenching briefly at the thought that Teddy will never get to do this with his own parents. In that moment Harry made the mental promise to his tiny charge that he would never doubt his birth parents love, he would know that he was loved, and that his parents died heros so he and the rest of the world could live in peace.

     Molly looked up when she noticed Harry standing in the doorway and waved him over, waiting until he settled down on the floor before going over the basics of taking care of a baby. Harry listened attentively to all the things Molly was explaining, picking up all the tricks he could to help him ease into this. Thirty minutes later Bill came walking through the door laden with bags all reading ‘Stella’ and filled to the brim. Harry looked at the bags with worried eyes wondering if he could really handle all of this. There were at least 8 bags and he was sure they were all filled with shrunken blankets, bottles, food, clothes, toys and any other random things the shop clerk felt a 6 month old baby boy needed.

      Bill walked over to the trio and placed the bags on the floor, “I got everything the lady at the shop told me I would need, plus some extra stuff. You have at least 6 months worth of formula and snacks, teether rings, baby potions, clothes for the next couple of months; those you’ll need to buy as he grows.” Harry nodded to show he understood and peeked in the bag closest to him and noticed eight boxes of different sizes in it. Each box had a picture on it showing what was packaged in it, there was one for a crib, changing table, pram, playpen, baby carrier, toy chest, baby bath tub and a car seat. Closing the bag back up Harry turned to see Molly shrinking the other bags a little more and putting them in a duffle for him to carry. Once done she held out something for him to take, “Hand me that bag dear and put this on, it will be easier to carry Teddy that way.” Reaching for the baby sling she held out he pushed the last bag towards her, and looked over the sling reading the instructions on how to wear it properly. Once it was secured tightly to himself, he slid over reaching to heft Teddy to his chest and gently slid the 6 month old into the seat part.

     Harry placed a hand on Teddy’s back and stood meeting the eyes of those around him, “I think it’s time to head out. I don’t want to put you all at risk any longer.” Molly gave him a sad smile, her eyes misting over and nodded, “Yes, I think it’s time. Bill will be the only one going with you to Gringotts.” At Harry’s wide eyed expression Molly’s smile widened and she reached out wrapping her arms around him pulling him into a tight embrace, “We need to stay here in case someone comes by looking for you, it would look strange if no one was here. Especially after I left the battlefield right after to make sure I had food for those who would be coming by, I told them to give me a few hours to make sure I had enough.” Harry laughed and hugged her back tightly, then moved to hug Charlie, “Thank you for everything over the years, I couldn’t have made it this far without all of you.” A sob tried to make it’s way past his throat and he clenched his eyes closed and took a deep breath trying to calm down.

     When he opened his eyes he had to fight back the tears at the look on all three of their faces. Molly had tears freely falling down her cheeks while both boys were rubbing the wetness from their faces. When Harry spoke next his voice was rough and hushed as if speaking too loud would destroy the seriousness of the situation. “You were my family since I was 11 and there is nothing I can do or say that will ever measure up to how much that means to me. All I can say is I love you Mum.” Harry smiled sadly at Molly’s gasp and reached to grabbed her hand, “You have been a mum to me for 7 years now and it would be an honor to call you that, all of you are my family. It’s what kept me strong and kept me alive through the summers and through all this mess. I will miss you all and as soon as I can I’ll send word that we’re ok.” Harry leaned up and kissed the Weasley matriarch on the cheek and smiled at her, stepping back he reached down and slipped the backpack on then grabbed the duffle of baby things and the satchel the twins gave him. Harry looked at them all one last time and headed out to the yard with Bill following behind him. Harry turned to get one last look at the one place he could call home and the family he gained, “Tell everyone that I love them all and I’ll miss them. I’ll write as soon as I can.” Waving at the two on the porch Harry reached out and gripped Bill’s arm as the redhead came to stand next to him. Taking a deep breath Harry closed his eyes and waited for the uncomfortable feeling of being pulled through a straw that apparition always caused. With a soft crack the two of them popped away from the Burrow and toward a receiving lobby at Gringotts.

Landing in the lobby the two wizards were immediately pulled into a side room by two of the largest goblins Harry had ever seen, they came up to his elbow. When the door was fully closed and warded a smaller goblin came to stand in front of them, “My name is Ragnok, I am the Chief Branch Manager for the European branch of Gringotts and we are honored to assist you Harry Potter.” Harry blinked at the stone faced goblin and smiled at the tiny creature and he bowed at the waist with a careful hand on the back of Teddy’s head, missing the shocked look that quickly passed over Ragnok’s face. “It is my honor Esteemed Goblin, May your gold stack as high as enemy’s bodies.” Bill’s jaw dropped at the formal greeting that came easy to Harry, it was no wonder the goblins had no problem helping when he came to them a month ago with his plan.

     He was drawn back to the conversation when Ragnok returned the bow with a toothy grin, “And may your wealth flow like the blood from the veins of your enemies.” Both stood straight and Harry set the duffle on the floor and looked around the small room they were in, the room was the size of one of the larger classrooms at Hogwarts with deep red walls trimmed with a dark gold, the carpet was a lush beige that screamed rich and comfort. The furniture was sparse yet tasteful, a dark gold couch that matched the trimming was set on the left side and a fireplace no doubt set to the floo network was directly across it on the right wall. When Harry brought his attention back to Ragnok he reached his hand out to shake the goblins hand, “Thank you for the help. I understand that you were only expecting me but I do hope it won’t be too much trouble with Teddy coming along.” Ragnok just waved him off and reached out to return the handshake, “Do not worry Harry Potter it will be no trouble at all. Come, we’ll discuss where you will be heading.” Harry agreed and the two headed for the couch on the left of the room, but before he could go too far Bill reached out and grabbed Harry’s wrist, “I have to leave now so you take care of yourself and the cub.” “I will, don’t worry. Give my love to Fleur and the rest of the family.” Bill flashed him a cheeky grin and gave him a quick hug before heading out of the room back to be with his family.

     For the next two hours Harry and Ragnok spoke about where he would be staying for awhile. The goblins had apparently set him up in New York at a school for mutants, where he wouldn’t stick out too much with his magic. He was told that he would be met by the Headmaster of the school, Professor Charles Xavier, a mutant with incredible mind powers and he would be able to stay there until he found a more permanent place to stay. While he was there he could study with the other students if he chose to, or he could help around the school with other things. While they were talking Ragnok had sent off a letter to the Professor letting him know about the extra person that would be joining Harry. They were now merely making small talk while  waiting on the response before Harry was sent out with the portkey. Sitting there waiting was slowly driving Harry crazy, he was anxious to get away from England and the people wanted him locked away or have his magic sealed and those that would hurt an innocent baby just because his father was a werewolf.

     Twenty minutes later the floo flashed green and a letter shot from the flames into Ragnok’s waiting hand. Harry waited with bated breath as the scowling goblin read the letter from Professor Xavier, this letter would change everything if it came back a negative. Ragnok finished reading it and sent Harry a grin that would make a weaker man run screaming in terror but all it did for the teen was release the painful tension that had been weighing on his shoulders. “He said that is fine, that a larger room has been made available for you and the young Lupin and that he eagerly awaits your arrival.” Grinning Harry hugged Teddy closer to himself and laughed as finally the last drips of stress and tension just melted off him. Standing Harry went and collected his bags where he had dropped them after arriving and returned next to Ragnok and bowed to the goblin, “Thank you again for all the help and may your fortune run as deep as the oceans are wide.” Letting his face soften slightly Ragnok smiled at the green eyed teen and returned the bow, “The honor is mine Lord Potter-Black, and may you be blessed with joy until the sun falls from the sky.” Taking a deep breath Harry reached out to take the portkey the goblin pulled from his pocket and in a flash the two were gone from the room and Harry could only hope that things would work out well for the two of them from now on.

     Ragnok stared at the spot the young lord vanished from and let the worry show on his face, the elder goblin knew that this would not be the end. They were bound to find them and he could only hope that by the time the British Government caught up with them the two had made some strong allies. Harry Potter had been protecting the Wizarding World for far too long, it was finally time for someone to take care of that poor boy and the small baby that was now his charge. Bowing his head Ragnok did something he hadn’t done in years, he prayed, he begged the Gods and Goddess’ and anyone else who would listen. ‘ _Please give that boy some happiness, let him live like he should have been able too his entire life. Keep him and the Young Lupin safe and give them someone to watch over them for as long as possible_.’


	2. From the Past We Move On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry spends his first night in his new haven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, cause apparently this needs to be said....I do not own the Harry Potter or Marvel universes, they have other owners, and I am not making any money from this. Now on to the other crap.......
> 
> The next few chapters may be a bit rushed cause I need to get out of the X-Manor before this turns into a Harry/Logan fic..... I may write one of those later, but dammit I had plans for this story and I'm not changing it now..... Damn you Logan for being so animalistic and awesome. Stop trying to hog Harry!!!!

     Harry landed hard in a grassy area and dropped to his knees when he felt them give out. His arm was wrapped tightly around a whingey Teddy determined not to fall at hurt his small charge. While still kneeling Harry checked on Teddy making sure all ten fingers and toes made the trip across the Atlantic. Once he was sure he was OK Harry looked into the little cub's eyes and had to hold back a startled gasp. Staring back at him were wide innocent amber eyes so much like Remus' it made his heart clench. Teddy was turning out to be almost a clone of his late father. Breathing deeply Harry nuzzled his nose into Teddy’s light brown hair memorizing the scent deep in his mind. Softly kissing his forehead Harry set the duffel and satchel down next to him, then slipped off the backpack standing easily. Once he felt he was steady on his feet Harry glanced around taking in the beautiful garden he landed in. The hedges were neatly trimmed surrounding the circular area he was in, and he could spot random flowers dotted throughout the lush green bushes in varying colors. There was a small grouping of trees creating a semi circle around a small wooden bench,  off to the left of the area leaving a large section blissfully saved from the suns harsh rays. Harry also noticed bright colored flowers creating simple designs weaving in delicate lines crossing through the circle.

     A soft noise caught Harry’s attention and he turned to face it, his wand already slipping into his right palm as his left hand came up to cradle Teddy’s head and protect him from the possible enemy. When Harry fully took in the scene before him he loosened his grip on the thin piece of wood, letting his arm hang at his side.  A bald man in a motorized wheelchair leisurely made his way toward the two Englishmen, he had a pleasant smile on his face that put the teen at ease immediately. Harry’s left hand shifted from a protective position to one merely of comfort on Teddy’s back and to ground his own mind. When the man stopped in front of him Harry bowed his head in greeting,  "I'm Harry Potter and this is Teddy, I want to thank you for taking us in." The elder man just continued to smile and held out his hand for Harry to shake. “It’s no problem at all, I’m happy to help. My name is Professor Charles Xavier and this is my school for gifted youth.” Placing his wand back in the holster on his forearm Harry reached out and grasped the extended hand. “Still I want to thank you, You’re helping out a stranger who is a 17 year old run away with a 6 month old baby.” Thinking back on what he ran from Harry unconsciously tightened his grip on the Professor’s hand, “There is honestly nothing I could possible do that would enough to thank you for this escape.”

     Taking a deep breath Harry locked eyes with the man in front of him, “I know you have questions and that you would like things explained, but can we please do it tomorrow. It’s been a very long and tiring day.” Charles Xavier looked at the young man in front of him seeing the deep black circles under his eyes and the haggard way he was standing, he really did look like he was about to fall over and the only thing keeping him upright was the fear of hurting the tiny babe in his arms. Giving the frail teen a soft smile Charles nodded, “Of course, if you’ll follow me I’ll lead you to the room we have given you. Naturally we’ll save the introductions for everyone else tomorrow as well.” Harry sagged in relief and gave Charles a smile in return while reaching for the bags he had dropped.

     Once Charles was sure the boy had everything, he turned his chair and indicated that he wanted Harry to follow him. “You’ll also get the grand tour tomorrow while you meet some of the students and staff. We’ve given you a room close to the kitchen in case you need anything for the little one during the night.” Harry looked in the door the Professor had indicated as they went down a side hall. It was a large kitchen with all state of the art appliances, a large fridge was settled on the right across from the largest dishwasher and sink he had ever seen. A huge six burner gas stove was stationed on the third wall between the fridge and dishwasher, and in the center was an island counter with tons of drawer space for storage and had 4 chairs lined up on one side. Harry beamed at the gorgeous kitchen, he couldn’t wait to get in there to try all the things out. He’d have to experiment with some of the equipment to learn how to use it, he’d gotten accustomed to cooking the magical way at the Weasleys so the newer things would be fun to figure out. He just hoped that his magic didn’t interact too badly with all the electrical things in the manor. Harry turned and quickly caught up to the Professor as he continued down the hall toward the room that would be his and Teddy’s for the unforeseeable future. Professor Xavier stopped in front of a door 4 down from the kitchens and motioned for Harry to open the door.

    Looking in the room Harry gasped in pleasant surprise at the room. It was a large spacious room that was at least twice the size of the bedroom he had at Privet Drive. There were a large bay window with a cushioned bench for reading or relaxing on the western wall overlooking the beautiful garden he landed in earlier, the rest of the wall was lined with bookshelves some stacked with different types of books while the others were empty for him to fill on his own. There was a large king sized bed dressed in a deep blue comforter and dark grey pillows resting atop it stationed close to the corner of the north and eastern walls. . A small table sat next to the head of the bed with a bedside lamp, and a matching wood TV stand topped with a large flat screen sat directly across from the bed. A small desk with a lush looking chair sat against the wall of the fourth wall with a small lamp and a slim laptop set up, along with a stack of old parchment and a set of gorgeous fountain pens ready to be used. Harry stepped in the room further and noticed a beautiful oak crib set between the bed and eastern wall, it was decorated in dark greens and browns and reminded Harry of a forest. Harry was sure Teddy would love it and the colors would be soothing to the wilder side of the tiny cub.

     Setting the bags down on the floor by the bed Harry looked at the baby in his arms and smiled slightly when he noticed Teddy had fallen back asleep. Walking to the crib Harry gently set his little cub in the crib making sure there was nothing he could hurt himself on. Straightening back up Harry turned to the Professor and couldn’t hold in the tears that softly fell down his face, “Thank you, so much. This is more than I could have asked for.” The Professor just smiled at him and patted Harry on the arm, “Think nothing of it, like I said before I’m glad to help. I’ll leave you to it tonight, in the morning whenever you wake just press the intercom button on the phone on your desk side table and it will connect you directly to me. Sleep well Mr. Potter.” After giving the man a small wave Harry closed the door and sat on the bed. He looked around the room once again and noticed a small door on the southern wall that he hadn’t spotted before. Wondering what it was Harry stood and made his way toward it and opened the door. Inside it was the largest closet he had ever seen and another door at the back, when he peeked in he noticed a large open bathroom with a huge tub perfect for soaking. The bathroom was done is a soft yellow and white, a shower stall was in the corner and when he looked in he noticed a waterfall shower head and decided that he would take full use of it tomorrow before he went to speak to the Professor.

     Padding back into the bedroom Harry pulled his wand out and set an alarm on Teddy to alert him if the baby work up sometime during the night, then waved his wand at the bags and watched as all the clothes for him and Teddy flew through the air and situated themselves in the closet and dressers. Looking at the final bag with furniture he debated with himself about weather to put it off until tomorrow or go ahead and set it all up tonight or wait till in the morning. Deciding he’d rather have a lie in Harry reached in the bag and pulled out the boxes and set aside the one with the crib figuring he won’t need it at the moment. After setting up the changing table, toy chest, and playpen he figured he’d wait on the others until he needed them. Harry retreated to the bed and sat down on the end, slipping off the baby sling Harry set it on the table and reached down to slip his shoes off. He stood and pulled the shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor then sliding his pants off leaving himself in his boxers, figuring he’d pick up his clothes tomorrow. After checking on Teddy on last time Harry slipped between the covers, placing his wand under his pillow and let out a deep sigh as he let his body sink into the comfortable bed, his mind finally shutting down and drifting into a restless sleep.

    Harry woke a few hours later to a loud buzzing coming from under his pillow. Blinking his eyes open another sound finally filtered through his sleep hazed mind; Teddy was crying in his bed. Flinging the covers back Harry scooted over to look in the cub’s bed, seeing his face screwed up red Harry immediately reached in picking up the tiny body he gave a quick sniff and reared back at the smell coming from Teddy. “How in the hell are you so smelly when all you drink is milk?” Slipping off the bed Harry walked to the changing table and after setting Teddy down on it he grabbed everything he would need to change him. After setting it all up on the edge of the table Harry stripped the onesie off and glared at the full nappie that needed to come off. Deciding to just get it over with he sucked in and held a deep breath as he undid the nappie from the boy’s bottom and quickly rolled it up and vanished it with a wave of his hand, only to blink when he noticed that the filth from the tiny body was also gone. “That's new.” Harry knew he had always been gifted magically and that certain smaller spells he could do wandless, but never without thinking about it quite hard first. Deciding to think on it later he wiped Teddy down and powdered the tiny bottom before wrapping it back up in a nappie and putting him back in the onesie. Hefting the six month old into his arms Harry turned to head back to bed but the fussy baby in his arms wouldn't settle down, “Are you hungry Cub?” Figuring that the flail and fussy whine was a resounding ‘Yes’ Harry gently placed Teddy in his crib while he put on a pair of sleep pants and white A-Shirt then snuggled the baby to his chest trying to calm him down during the short walk to the kitchen. Before leaving the room Harry made sure to grab the formula for Teddy’s bottle wondering to himself when babies were weaned and frowning because he knew there was something he forgot to ask Molly about before leaving.

    Harry stepped into the kitchen and startled at the man sitting at the counter. He was a large thick set man with an odd hair style almost like two horns on his head. He was casually sitting alone sipping a beer and smoking a cigar looking to be deep in thought. Not wanting to startle the man Harry let out a soft cough alerting the man to his presence. The burly man’s head snapped up looking straight at Harry with intense eyes making the green eyed teen take a cautious step back clutching Teddy closer to his chest. The movement brought the man’s eyes to the babe in Harry’s arm then back up to Harry’s eyes, “So you’re the kid Chuck was talking about, the one who’s running from someone you thought was a friend?” At Harry’s nod dark brown eyes glanced back at the fussy baby and cocked his head toward the kettle on the counter by the stove, “Looks hungry you should probably feed him.” Blinking Harry looked back down at Teddy seeing him still snuffling quietly waiting on food and walked to the kettle filling it with water and placing it on the stove to heat up. Once done Harry looked around cursing softly at not remembering to at least bring the sling with him so he wouldn’t have to do this all one handed, and not wanting to perform magic in front of a stranger. Harry was startled out of his thoughts when a gruff voice behind him spoke up, “I can hold him while you get his bottle ready, if you don’t mind that is.”

     Harry glanced over his shoulder at the animal like man staring straight in his eyes, the stranger kept his gaze without flinching and Harry nodded turning to face him straight on. “I’m Harry and this is Teddy,” Harry told him quietly, holding out Teddy for him to take. “Logan, but Chuck didn’t say anything about you having a kid when he told us you were coming.” Harry smiled slightly at the sight of the large Logan with a baby in the crook of his arm. “He didn’t know until the last minute. Teddy is my godson, both his parents were killed in the war so I got custody of him.” Logan looked up from the baby in his arms and leveled a glare at the teen, “How old are you to have been in a war?” Harry’s grip tightened on the bottle in his hand, staring down at the powder in the bottom and Logan was surprised at the darkness and grief that flashed in those emerald eyes, “I’m 17, Teddy is 6 months by the way, and there was a war in England that was not known to normal humans. It’s been going on for years longer than I’ve been alive really.” Taking a breath Harry took a moment to collect himself while he made Teddy’s bottle and set it aside to cool, “It’s really a lot to talk about and I’d really rather only have to tell it once, since you were told I was coming here I’m assuming you’ll be there tomorrow when I tell Professor Xavier”.

     Looking the kid over Logan nodded silently agreeing to leave it be for the night. He instead focused on the little one in his arms, the child smelled different. He couldn’t quite place the smells, there was a definite human smell there, but there was also something else, something a bit wild like his own scent or Sabertooth, and there was an undercurrent of what smelled like an electrical storm. Logan was curious but he didn’t want to push the small teen into retreating so quickly before he could figure anything out. He looked up when a shadow fell over him and noticed Harry standing in front of him holding his arms out for the baby, and Logan handed him over immediately to his caregiver.

    Harry smiled at Teddy and adjusted him to rest comfortably in the crook of his arm as he sat in the chair resting next to Logan. “I know you’re hungry Cub, I have something for you here.” Harry watched as Teddy rooted around for the bottle finally latching on to the nipple and drinking deeply. Keeping his gaze on the baby in his arms Harry focused intently on Teddy making sure as little air as possible was swallowed and that his neck was supported. Taking his eyes from Teddy’s amber orbs Harry glanced at Logan sitting beside him, “Can you grab me a towel, I forgot to grab his burp rag?” Seeing Logan nod and watched as he stood and walked to one of the drawers and pulled out small towel, Harry focused back on Teddy and made sure he ate as much as he could. Feeling a towel drop on his shoulder Harry sent a ‘Thanks’ to the wild mad as he sat back in the chair he had vacated. Once he noticed the bottle was empty Harry set it on the counter and gently shifted Teddy over his shoulder and started patting him on back bringing any air the baby drank in.

     After about 3 minutes Teddy let rip a loud burp that had Harry laughing and Logan’s lips twitching. Shifting him back in his arms Harry starting rockin Teddy softly back to sleep, whispering quietly letting the little boy know he was safe and that he was loved. Logan sat there and watched as Harry rocked the boy to sleep and couldn’t help but smirk as those amber eyes tried so hard to stay open and stare at the male holding him. Teddy tried his hardest to stay awake but the full tummy and soothing voice was too much for him and his eyes finally closed and his quick little breaths evened out indicating him to be sleeping. Trying to not jostle the bundle in his arms Harry stood and reached out to grab the now empty bottle only to be stopped when another hand reached out and snagged the bottle before he could touch it. “I got it kid, you look about dead on your feet.” Not wanting to argue Harry just nodded and mumbled out a ‘Thank You’ as he padded back to his room to put Teddy back to sleep and then crawl into bed himself.

 

    As soon as Harry was secured in his room Logan dropped the bottle in the sink and headed straight to the Professor’s study. When he reached the door Logan let himself in and sat in front of the wheelchair bound man leveling him with a look. “Well, what did you think of him Logan?” Said man just grunted and cocked his head to the side thinking on how he should answer the question, “Hmm… well I didn’t talk to him that much but you can tell he cares for that baby and that something heavy is weighing him down. Kid said he was in a war?” Logan’s eyes focused on Xavier’s silently demanding an answer on the kid’s behavior. Seeing that Logan wouldn’t leave until he received an answer Charles let out a sigh, “I don’t know much but I can tell you the little I do. His name is Harry Potter, he’s a wizard and was the poster boy and main center for the civil war for the his kind in England.” Logan raised an eyebrow and snorted out a laugh, “A wizard? Really?”

     When Charles didn’t respond Logan leveled him with a hard glare, “Wait, wizards are real?” Charles let out a small chuckle resting his chin in his hand, “Why is that so hard to believe, are we not also something from science fiction? There are different types of mutations, does it seem impossible that someone from centuries ago had the first mutation that gave them a magical core?” Logan leaned back in his chair and thought on it, was it really that much of a jump for there to be magic? Deciding to think more on it after he heard the kids story from his own mouth he looked to the Professor, “I guess not, stranger things are in the world so why not a wizard?” Seeing Charles smile slightly Logan shook his head and leaned to his left crossing one leg over the other resting his right ankle over his left knee, “So what about the baby? He said his name is Teddy.” Nodding Charles leaned back straightening in his chair letting a frown cross his face, “Theodore Lupin, he’s six months old son of Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin; a werewolf…” Logan jerked straight in his seat and his jaw dropped open slightly, “Werewolves?! Those are real too? What else is real?” Charles narrowed his eyes at the Wolverine slightly telling him not to interrupt again; Logan settled back in his seat and nodded for Charles to continue with a mumbled ‘Sorry Chuck’.

     Xavier merely smiled at the wild man and continued, “Teddy’s parents were killed when a madman tried to overthrow the government.  Harry was asked to take him in and he agreed.” Charles let out a sigh and closed his eyes thinking on everything he had been told about the young boys life, he had been through so much helping people who turned on him and yet he still took in a child that wasn’t his. Leaning back to rest against his chair Charles opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling hoping he could help the young man who was now in his care, he hated seeing children in pain be it physical or emotional. Looking back at Logan he noticed that he too was deep in thought about the child he met just an hour or so before and kept fidgeting with the cigar that hung loosely between his lips. “Can I count on you to help him out, considering young Lupin’s parents he might feel more comfortable with you.”  

     The wild mutant looked at Xavier like he was a losing his mind, “You want me to help look after a 17 year old with a 6 month old? Do I look like a fucking babysitter to you, I don’t have the patience to deal with brats and you know that.” Charles just sent him a bland look, “You get along well with Rogue and the other students here, why would Harry and Teddy be any different? In fact I’d think that Harry would be more mature and easier to get along with.” With a sad look crossing his face Charles wheeled himself to the window to stare out it, “With what all that young man has been through he stopped being a child long ago and would probably latch onto a stable male adult. He’ll need someone to help guide him, someone he can talk to bluntly that won’t lie or hide things from him. I think that person could be you Logan.” Logan’s eyes widened and he stared at Charles trying to decide if he was joking or not and when Xavier gave no indication that he was Logan released a long breath. “I don’t know about that Chuck I told you I don’t deal well with kids and most people tend to avoid me.”

     Charles merely smiled and inclined his head, “Well it was just a thought, and if there is nothing else we’ll talk more in the morning. I assume you want to be there tomorrow?” When Logan nodded Charles continued, “Then I’ll call for you when Harry arrives, but you’ll have to behave somewhat Scott and Ororo will be there as well.” Grumbling slightly about being an adult and being able to behave when assholes were in the room Logan stood and made his way out of the office with a wave over his shoulder and a half assed goodnight. Charles just watched him go with a small smile while thinking that things were going to get a little more chaotic in the manor with the two new additions, then set off to his own rooms to prepare for bed, chuckling quietly still listening to Logan’s grumbles as he went to grab another beer.

   

    Harry woke the next morning much like he did during the night with his wand vibrating and sounding an alarm alerting him that Teddy was awake. Slowly he straightened himself from the covers that had twisted around him sometime during the night and shifted over to peer into the crib and smiled when amber eyes blinked at him with a spotty; toothy grin as he saw Harry leaning over him. Slowly Harry reached out and carefully lifted Teddy from the crib deciding he would try his hand at bathing the tiny cub. Casually waving his hand Harry summoned all the things he would need to wash Teddy and take a quick shower himself. Striding into the bathroom Harry set up the small bathing tub in the larger one and filled it with warm water then turned to rest Teddy on the soft bath mat that lined the floor and stripped off the onesie tossing it in the hamper he noticed off to the side, then the diaper and vanished it. Quickly wiping Teddy off with a wet wipe Harry then gently set him in the little tub and grabbed a soft cloth to clean the little body with extreme care. Once he was sure Teddy was clean he grabbed the baby shampoo and lathered his hair, making sure none dripped into amber eyes. When done he filled a small cup with warm water and slowly drained it over Teddy's hair making sure to get all the shampoo out.  He then lifted Teddy from the tub and quickly dried him off not wanting to risk his small body getting cold and dressed him in one of the little outfits Bill had bought.

     Harry couldn't help but smile at the cute black pants with a red shirt that had a gold Griffin across the chest. "Always a Gryffindor," Harry spoke fondly standing. "Shit I forgot to bring in the carrier to hold him." Looking around the bathroom Harry spotted a trashcan and quickly pulled it towards him. Hoping that his new found talent with wandless magic was still there he waved a hand over the can and whispered the incantation to transfigure it into a comfy and safe seat for Teddy while he showered. Harry broke into a happy smile when the trash can shifted form perfectly and he quickly tested the little seat making sure it would be sturdy before placing Teddy in the chair and setting wards around him that would keep him in place and alert Harry if anything happened.

     Quickly stripping out of his clothes Harry turned on the shower and hopped in immediately lathering soap over his body as soon as the water hit him while ducking his head under the spray soaking it thoroughly. Harry grabbed the shampoo and poured a generous amount on his head and rapidly shampooed his hair then dunking completely under the spray rinsing the soap and shampoo off at the same time. Jumping out of the shower Harry waved a hand over himself and dried his body and hair. He gently picked up Teddy and padded his way back into the closet to search for something to wear, deciding on simple blue jeans and a Hogwarts black shirt. Resting Teddy in his crib Harry quickly dressed and debated on talking to the Professor now or waiting till later in the day.

     Figuring her might as well get it over with Harry lifted Teddy to his chest and pressed the button on the phone to connect him to Charles. “ **Hello, Harry is that you**?” “Yes Professor I was wondering if now was a good time to have our talk?” A soft chuckle came over the intercom before he heard an answer, “ **Yes My boy, now is a good time I’ll have to call Scott, Logan and Ororo, the others who will be sitting in with us if that will be ok?** ” Harry smiled at the phone and nodded even though the man couldn’t see him, “Yes Sir, that's perfect actually, it will give me time to fix a bottle for Teddy and walk to your office.” “ **Very good My boy, I’ll see you in my office shortly, but please there is no rush. Take care of Teddy first.** ” Softly thanking the Professor Harry pressed the button to end the call and headed out the door to the kitchen to ready Teddy’s bottle, while thinking over how he was going to get through this without lashing out or breaking down.

    While Harry was taking care of Teddy in the kitchen, Charles sent out a call to Scott, Logan, and Ororo. * _Harry will be on his way to answer the questions we have so please make your way here_.* Getting a mental ok from all three of them Charles began to set out tea in hopes of making Harry feel even slightly more comfortable with what they were going to be discussing. After setting the tea to steep Charles looked up when the door opened and smiled warmly when Ororo walked in and came sit in the chair off to his right. It didn’t take long for Scott to show up and claim the chair to Xavier’s left knowing that the love seat across from him was saved for the young man who would  be joining them soon. The three sat waiting for the final two to join them and both Scott and Ororo couldn’t help but notice the small smile that graced the aged Professor’s face.

    Leaving his room Logan grumbled softly to himself he headed to the kitchen to grab a beer before heading to the meeting. He knew he would need something to help with his nerves while dealing with Scott and listening to whatever trouble this new kid brought. Passing through the doorway Logan headed straight towards the fridge and yanked the door open only to groan as the fridge was void of any cold beers. “Looking for something?” Logan jerked up slamming his head on the bottom of the freezer door, letting out a shouted ‘FUCK’, and turned to where the voice behind him had spoken. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of a laughing Harry leaning against the counter waiting on the water to boil for Teddy’s bottle. Still glaring into amused emerald eyes Logan grunted out a rough answer, “Yeah, a beer.” At Harry’s disbelieving look and quick glance at the clock, Logan’s lip curled in a snarl, he wasn’t going to let some little shit look down on him for what he choose to do.

     However before he opened his mouth to tell him where to shove his opinions, Harry pointed at the cabinet a little to the left of the fridge. “There’s beer hidden in there behind the sugar, hand it to me and I can cool it for you.” Casting a sideways glance at the still smirking teen Logan opened the indicated cabinet and held it out for Harry to take. Seeing the look Harry snorted and grabbed the bottle, “What? I know what it’s like to have to drink to deal with certain people, I’m assuming that you can’t stand either this Scott or Ororo?” At Logan’s nod and whispered ‘Scott’ Harry smiled and muttered a cooling charm over the bottle then handed it back to Logan for him to open. Raising an eyebrow Logan popped the cap off and took a cautious drink only to chug back another when he found it to be the perfect temperature for him. “Thanks kid.” Harry just shrugged him off and set about making Teddy’s bottle grabbing it to cool along the way. Just as he was about to cross the threshold he glanced over his shoulder at Logan and cocked an eyebrow in silent question. “I have to finish this here, Chuck will have my head if I walk in his office with an empty beer bottle.” Harry laughed and cocked his head to the side telling Logan to follow him, “Don’t worry about that, when you’re done I’ll get rid of it for you. Now come on, I don’t know where I’m going.”

     Shaking his head Logan followed after the teen and easily caught up to him with his longer strides, “You sure you ready for this?” At Harry’s questioning look Logan elaborated, “Talking about your past? I’m assuming it’s a rough one and a lot of memories will be brought up.” Softly smiling at the concern he could sense from the wild man Harry buried his nose in Teddy’s hair and answered so softly that Logan had to strain his ears to hear. “It will be tough and it will difficult for me but it needs to be said. I’ll get through it as long as no one rushes me.” Logan watched him closely for a moment as they walked quietly down the hall toward Charles’ office. Turning the final corner Logan held his bottle out and caught Harry’s eyes as the teen looked over at him and raised a hand over the bottle, “Don’t worry kid, I’ll make sure no one rushes you or hounds you. If you feel uncomfortable just focus on me.” Harry’s hand stalled over the bottle and he stopped in his tracks staring wide eyed at Logan and the man met his gaze head on showing his sincerity on the statement he made. Seeing the honesty in the man's gaze Harry smiled brightly and nodded, then waved his hand over the bottle in Logan’s and brown eyes widened when the bottle vanished without a trace. He tried he really did, but he couldn’t stop the question the flew from his mouth, “What are you, exactly?” Harry tossed a smirk over his shoulder as he walked ahead of Logan and a chuckle slipped past his lips as he pushed the door open to Charles’ office and strode in, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Logan stared at the teen’s back as he walked away and couldn’t stop the laughter that erupted from his chest at the cheeky response, Maybe this kid won’t be too bad to have around after all?

    Harry’s smile faltered when he stepped in the office and saw 3 people watching him as he walked to the only remaining seat in the office. Settling down and adjusting Teddy, Harry decided to ignore the others in the room in favor of feeding the baby in his arms. He was so focused on Teddy that Harry jumped slightly when the love seat dipped as another body sat next to him. Looking up Harry stared into Logan’s brown eyes and cocked his head in question. Brown eyes stayed locked with green and Logan lifted a hefty hand resting it on top of Harry’s head, “Remember what I told you kid.” Harry’s eyes widened and thought back on the words Logan spoke to him, ‘If you feel uncomfortable just focus on me…. I’ll make sure no one rushes you’. Green eyes softened and only Logan and the Professor heard the whispered ‘Thanks’ as Harry focused on Teddy once again.

     The others in the room gave him the time to feed Teddy and burp him comfortably without asking any questions or pressing him for any information, and for this Harry was very grateful. Sighing Harry leaned back in the chair and shifted Teddy so he was laying on his back on Harry’s thighs playing with the fingers that were wiggling at him. Harry smiled down at the giggling and cooing baby in his lap trying to focus on the happy noises and not think about what he was actually here to talk about.Raising his head Harry focused on Charles and breathed out slowly, “So how about I just start at the beginning and tell you what I can and when I’m finished you can ask what you want?” Charles nodded in agreement, “That would be fine, but first I would like to introduce to you the two beside me.” He indicated to the woman sitting to his right, she had lovely smooth mocha skin with a shock of long white hair that fell loosely just below her shoulders and stunning blue eyes. “This is Ororo Munroe, she’s a teacher here at the school. To my left is Scott Summers another teacher.” Harry cast a glance at the male sitting on the other side of the professor. The man was slightly intimidating sitting in jeans, a tight white shirt and leather jacket, staring at him behind dark sunglasses without even a hint of a smile.

     Harry unconsciously sank further into the love seat bowing his head and hunched in on himself and focused solely on the tiny baby in his lap and mumbled out a very quiet “Please to meet you”, before he jumped slightly when a heavy arm landed around his shoulders. “Oy Goggles how about you remove the stick from your ass before you send the kid running.” Scott sneered at Logan and was about to open his mouth to issue a retort when Charles raised a hand signaling them to close their mouths. Harry heard their jaws snap shut and look away from each other and he couldn’t help but smile at the disgruntled look that crossed Logan’s face. Letting out a small sigh Charles turned back to Harry, “I am sorry for that, please start whenever you feel comfortable.” Harry nodded, closed his eyes and leaned down to nuzzle into Teddy’s tummy while trying to decide on where to start.

     Opening his eyes he stared into Teddy’s amber ones using the familiar color to center him and when he felt the same calm he normally got around Remus Harry straightened up. “This story actually starts many years before I was even born, a madman was hell bent on destruction and would stop at nothing to get it. He was so terrifying that people were even scared to say his name; Lord Voldemort.” Harry scoffed lightly and shook his head, “To be scared of a name, it’s silly, but people were dying left and right and in horrible ways so the masses connected his name with death itself.” Sighing Harry leaned back and looked to the ceiling trying to focus more on the tiny fingers playing with his own, “I’m gonna skip a lot of years because it was a lot of the same things; people were scared, people died, the bad guys ran around causing chaos and no one knew what to do. Then a prophecy was made in 1980:

       

            “ _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies …_ ”

 

     Harry stayed focused on the ceiling and didn’t notice the looks passed between the 4 others in the room, “There were 2 kids that could be about, me and another boy named Neville, and Voldemort chose me. When my parents found out they went into hiding only telling 2 people. The headmaster of the school they went to who was also at the forefront of the war and the other was a friend they had known for years, who no one would suspect.” Blinking the frustrated tears out of his eyes Harry lifted his head and looked at Charles across from him, “They were betrayed, the friend they told was actually working for Voldemort and sold them out as soon as he could. I was a little over a year old when he came to the house, killed my parents and tried to kill me. Something went wrong and it didn’t work, he ended up destroying his own body. The world celebrated that night, herald me as a savior, ‘The-Boy-Who-Lived’ they called me. People thought he was dead and for many years there was peace. Some of his followers were caught and others got off on technicalities or being wealthy and paying their way out. But all in all life went back to the way it was before, except for mine.”

     Taking a deep breath Harry turned his head slightly so he could look at Logan without having to outright stare at him. The wild man noticed and subtly shifted so Harry could see his face and he saw Harry’s relax subtly as he prepared himself to continue on. “Because they used someone no one would expect to keep them hidden they jumped on another of my parents friends who was the most likely to know the secret, my godfather, and they sent him to prison for being a spy and assisting in the murder of my parents and the murder of 12 innocent bystanders. Because he was supposed to be my guardian if my parents died, I had nowhere to go so I was sent to my mum’s sister and her husband to live and that's where things take a turn.” This time Harry didn’t care if he was being subtle or not as he leaned toward Logan, there was just something about the wild man that reminded him of home and of someone he could trust. It was almost like having a more brash version of Remus sitting next to him, the way he walked, the way he held himself, the fact that he could pick up of a ghost of a whisper when no one else could, the earthly and wild smell that poured from the man. It was all Remus in a different package and Harry felt his nerves just wash away.

     Squaring his shoulders as he continued to lean on Logan, ignoring the shocked looks that came over Ororo and Scott and the slightly amused one from Charles, Harry continued his story, “For the next 10 years I lived in the cupboard under the stairs at my Aunt’s house, always being told I was the worst and my parents were drunks and whores. I didn’t know my name was Harry until I was 6 and that’s because when they finally decided to send me to school they had to give the school my legal name. I was a slave basically for those years, doing the cooking, cleaning, yard work and anything else they could think of. But there was a change when I turned 11, a giant came and rescued me when he came to take me to ‘Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’. I’ll never forget the words he spoke to me after giving me my first ever birthday present, a simple cake; he looked me in the eye and told me, ‘You’re a wizard Harry.”

     He  couldn’t stop the giggle that burst forth when Scott’s jaw dropped and Ororo’s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly cast a glance at Logan to see his reaction, but other than a slight widening of his eyes Logan gave no other response. Pouting at the small reaction Harry continued on his tale, “The rest will take a while,. I’ll need to go year by year and explain it all.” And Harry did just that, going year by year and summer by summer, and explaining everything that happened to him. The joy of being a wizard, the euphoria of finally being able to make a friend, the awe that came with seeing the castle for the first time, the freedom of flying, and the knowledge that his parents loved him and wanted nothing more than for him to grow up happy. He also told them of the terrors he had to face during his school years; the troll in the bathroom, meeting Voldemort on the back of Quirrell and getting the stone from him, the chamber of secrets, the basilisk, and meeting Voldemort for the second time. Each year he told in great detail, choking up slightly at his 4th year and on, watching Cedric die and seeing Voldemort reborn, being tricked into trying to rescue his godfather only to actually watch him die right before his eyes, having the Wizarding world turn on him calling him crazy, then learning about the horcruxes and the fact there were 7 made.

     Harry had to take a small breather as Teddy started to fuss, needing a change and food. Not wanting to leave, for fear of not coming back and just hiding away Harry summoned the things he would need and set about changing Teddy and used magic to quickly prepare the bottle.The others gave him this time to pull away from the story being told and just focus on Teddy, Logan kept a close eye on Harry watching for any signs that this was starting to be too much for the small teen. When Harry finished caring for Teddy he sat back on the loveseat then shifted slightly where his side was pressed against Logan’s and he couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped when Logan wrapped a thick arm around his shoulders in support.

     Breathing deeply Harry picked up where he left off spilling about the trip to the cave for the locket, Dumbledore's death and the attack that followed, the summer after and how the attacks on normal humans started up again. All the killing and terror that clouded the streets like thick smog, no one wanted to leave their house for any reason and students were being withdrawn from Hogwarts. He told them of how he, Ron, and Hermione  stayed on the run for almost a year, Ron leaving and his return, the ‘taboo word’, getting caught by snatchers, Hermione’s torture, the escape, the pain he felt at Dobby’s death, breaking into Gringotts and stealing the cup, escaping on a dragon, sneaking into Hogwarts, the final battle, seeing all his classmates and friends laying on the ground dead or dying, watching Snape die and the memories he collected from him, the complete anguish he felt when he saw the bodies of Remus and Tonks, the fear of almost losing Fred.

     The other four all stared as they watched the color drained from Harry’s face and his voice slipped into a monotone as he started describing his trip alone into the forest, and Logan tightened his arm around slender shoulders holding the smaller body to his chest. Harry blinked back tears and leaned into Logan further taking comfort in the familiar smell  to help him continue on. He repeated word for word what his father and mother said to him, and the words his godfather and surrogate godfather told him, his voice getting softer and softer as the story brought them closer to the confrontation in the woods.

     When he got to the part where he stood there and let Voldemort hit him with the Killing Curse, Harry heard Ororo gasp, even Scott sucked in a deep breath and Logan’s arm tightened around his shoulders slightly. Taking a deep breath Harry pulled Teddy up where the small body rested on his chest and he hugged the small body softly but tightly. The others let Harry take a break and Charles quietly made a cup of tea for the young man across from him and slid the cup over the small table between them. Thanking the Professor Harry started to reach forward only to stop when Logan beat him too it and held the cup out to him.

     Harry smiled thankfully and took the cup, sipping on it quietly while he calmed down slightly and the calming fingers that started running through his hair helped immensely as did the soothing innocent smell coming from the baby in his arms. When he finished his tea he thanked Logan when the man took his cup back and set it back on the table, then resumed running his fingers through the teens hair. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath and restarted his tale where he left off and didn’t stop again until he reached the part where he landed in the garden of X-Manor. Opening his eyes he glanced around the room at the others taking in their expressions, the Professor looked saddened at all he had gone through, Ororo’s eyes were shimmery with unshed tears, Scott had lost the harsh look and one of compassion and slight anger on his behalf.

     However it was Logan’s that had Harry confused, the older man looked livid, but Harry wasn’t scared by the look. He had seen that look a few times before; when Harry told Sirius about his life that look crossed his godfathers face. When Bellatrix tried to attack Ginny, Molly had that look and most recently he saw the look on Molly’s face when she told him about the plot to arrest him. Logan was angry for him, he was angry at the people who hurt him and those that tormented him all his life. It was slightly confusing for the emerald eyed teen, after all him and Logan had just met last night, how could he already feel this close to someone. Blinking up at brown eyes Harry decided not to worry on it now, Logan reminded him so much of Remus and Sirius that it eased the hurt just a bit. He wasn’t going to argue or fight against having someone in his corner, he had been alone far too long and he was so tired. So not even giving it a second thought he leaned fully on Logan, not caring that it was a completely submissive behavior, someone could take care of him finally.

     Sighing softly Harry focused on Charles, “Is there anything you would like to ask?”


	3. Meetings and Memories for Those Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry spends more time with Logan after his talk with Professor Xavier and meets some of the students of the school. A letter also makes it's way back to those in London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, cause apparently this needs to be said....I do not own the Harry Potter or Marvel universes, they have other owners, and I am not making any money from this. Now on to the other crap.......
> 
> So yeah..... the pairing has shifted slightly....... Logan is a pain in my ass and wouldn't go away until he was written in as an interest. No matter how many times I tried to rewrite and keep him as a 'father/brother' figure, it didn't work. So now it's going to be a triangle with Logan and Bruce. Jealousy and chaos will make it's way into the story.

     When Harry finally left the room 2 hours later it was with a contemplative Logan behind him and a fussy baby in his arms. Sighing softly Harry turned to look at Logan with a sideways glance watching as he walked slightly behind him, “Are you hungry?” Snapping his head up Logan looked at Harry with a confused expression and narrowed his eyes as Harry laughed. “I’m asking because we’ve been in the office since this morning and I haven’t eaten at all today, plus I need to feed Teddy again.” “Yeah I could eat.” Harry nodded and waved for Logan to follow him back to the kitchen, “Do you mind feeding Teddy while I cook, or would you rather not?” Logan shook his head, “Na I don’t mind as long as you make the bottle.” Harry snickered as they walked into the kitchen and turned to hand Teddy to Logan while he prepared the bottle and set it on the table in front of where Logan sat. “I’ve cooled it down to a temperature that he can drink, so go a head and give it to him.” Logan nodded and reached out and snagged the bottle raising it to Teddy’s lips and watched as Harry bustled around the kitchen grabbing pots and pans and ingredients to cook with. The young teen seemed like he knew what he was doing in a kitchen and looked very comfortable bustling around.

      Logan was slightly startled when a heavy southern voice spoke up behind him, “Logan why do you have a baby?” Harry snorted and turned to see a group of teens standing in the doorway, all four staring at the burly man who was gently holding a baby in his arms. Smiling at the teens Harry gave a jaunty wave, “He’s actually mine, Logan is just holding him for me while I cook.” He smirked as four heads snapped to where he was standing and jaws dropped at the sight of the lithe raven haired teen standing by the stove, knife in one hand and a bag of potatoes in the other. The 4 just stared at Harry until a small whine was heard and a smell that had Logan wrinkling his nose and his eyes tearing up came from the little one in his arms, “Kid, come take the cub. I’ll feed him when you want but I refuse to change a shitty diaper.” Laughing Harry set down the knife and potatoes and walked to take Teddy back before Logan decided to just throw the baby at him. Taking the smelly baby Harry headed out of the kitchen back to his room, mumbling about ‘delicate people who can’t handle the smell of a baby’ and ignoring the glare sent his way.

     As soon as he was out of earshot the others all turned on Logan shouting out questions all at once. “Who is that?” “Why does he have a baby?” “What’s he doing here?” “Why would he let you hold his baby?” “Where did he come from?” “He sounded British, why is he here?” Cringing back from the eruption of noise Logan raised a hand, causing all the chatter to stop right away. “Ask him when he gets back, he can tell you what he wants you to know.” Pouting but knowing that would be the only answer they received the four sat down and waited without talking for Harry to walk back in, and they all gaped as Harry immediately handed the tiny baby back to Logan, who held him like a pro and looked completely comfortable holding the 6 month old.

      “So how about your introduce yourselves and then ask what you would like.” The four all turned to him and a girl with long brown hair that had an odd streak of solid white running through the front spoke first, “I’m Rogue…” and before she could continue a blonde boy with cold blue eyes leaned forward and loudly spoke over her. “Name’s Pyro and why the hell would you let Wolverine handle your kid?” Harry merely raised an eyebrow and turned back to Rogue when she shoved Pyro. “As I was saying; I’m Rogue, this is Angel, and that’s Bobby. So who are you?” Harry smiled softly at the girl and snorted at the blunt question giving a quick nod to the other 2 boys, then resumed his cooking while answering the questions. “Hello Rogue, my name is Harry and that tiny bundle of flesh and blood in Logan’s arms is Teddy; my godson. Next.”

     The boy Pyro from before slammed a hand down on the table and Harry looked over the teen and wasn’t impressed at all. He had plain dull blonde hair and blue eyes that looked colder than ice, and Harry was immediately wary of the boy. “Aren't you going to answer my question now?” Narrowing his eyes Harry cocked his head to the side and plastered a forced smile on his face, “And you are…?” The blonde narrowed his eyes and tossed a smirk in Harry’s direction not noticing or deciding to ignore the bite in the emerald eyed teens voice, “Pyro, do well to remember it. Now why would you let Wolverine even touch your kid?” The raven raised an eyebrow and cast a quick glance at Logan and frowned at the closed off expression on his face, he even noticed a look of disbelief on the faces of the other three as well. “Wolverine? Pyro? What kind of names are those? And now that I think about it, ‘Rogue’, I gave my real name at least have the decency to give me yours.”

     Harry saw the girl blush slightly and duck her head and he heard a whispered “Marie”, but it was the reaction from the boy, Pyro, that had his guard raising again. The teen didn’t say anything merely snapped open a zippo and struck it, lighting the wick. Harry watched him cautiously as he raised a hand over small flame and blinked in surprise as the flame leapt from the lighter straight into the blue eyed teen’s palm and was made to grow until the boys arm was covered in fire. Harry reacted instantly and his left hand flew out toward Logan and Teddy and the others in the room gaped as a shimmery dome covered the two in the chair.

     Logan blinked and reached out to touch the dome and was surprised when his hand met a solid surface, his eyes shot to Harry for an answer. Wincing slightly Harry shrugged at Logan, “What it’s an instinct. There was a fire by Teddy, what did you expect me to do?” Marie reached a hand and grazed it across the outside gasping at the slight shock that ran up her arm, “What did you do?” Putting on a sheepish expression, Harry gave a weak chuckle scratching the back of his neck, “I tossed up a shield to keep the flames away. Like I said; it’s an instinct.”

      Raising an eyebrow Logan just shook his head as Harry dropped the shield, “To answer the other question, nicknames are given out based on powers around here.” Cocking his head to the side Harry stared down at the seated Logan, pouting when he noticed that even seated Logan was only barely shorter than him. Seeing the look Logan shot him a cocky smirk and leaned back in his chair bringing Teddy up to rest on his shoulder while the baby gummed at the collar of his shirt.

     Leaning back against the counter Harry gave Logan an unamused look, “Wolverine? Why, because you’re a wild animal with fangs and claws?” Logan lost the amused look very quickly and his face locked up, and Harry was shocked to see that his hands that were resting on Teddy’s back and under his thighs tightened enough to turn his knuckles white, and his jaw locked. “You have claws, don’t you?” When all Logan did was nod, Harry sighed and took a step closer making sure his voice was light, “Show me?”

     Logan stared at him for a whole minute waiting for him to take Teddy from his arms and looked confused when Harry didn’t move at all. The raven teen just stood quietly and waited for Logan to show him and raised an eyebrow when the wait continued. “Aren’t you going to take him from Logan?” Emerald eyes locked with Rogue’s green and he looked at her in confusion mixed with a little bit of disappointment, “Why would I do that?” Harry’s eyes narrowed at the scoff that escaped from Pyro and he turned to glare into blue eyes, “Why? You’re really asking why?” Laughter erupted from the blonde when Harry only continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes, “He tells you he has claws and you don’t think he’ll hurt the baby when he pulls them out? Are you really that naive?”

     Harry’s eyes snapped open in anger when he saw Logan flinch slightly, taking a deep breath he leveled cold eyes at the fire manipulator, “Why shouldn’t I trust him not to hurt Teddy? He’s held him for quite a while now and nothing has happened to him.” Harry scoffed and looked down his nose at the boy in a move that screamed ‘Draco’, “He also hasn’t run you through so it appears he has control over them and knows how to not stab someone.”

     Pyro’s laughter stopped short as the laughter from the other 3 teens burst out and he snapped his eyes to Harry  while bringing his lighter out of his pocket again. Harry noticed and his hand flew up toward the hot headed youth, and his eyes narrowed to emerald slits, “Try it. Little boy you have no idea who you are fucking with and I will not hold back if Teddy is threatened in any way, so sit back, shut up, and let the rest of us finish the conversation we were having.” The blonde snorted and stood from his seat, lighter still in hand, “What do you think you could against me, I could roas………” The blonde’s eyes widened when his voice cut out and his hands flew to his throat. “What did you do to him?”

     Fiery green eyes met soft blue and Harry looked over the male that had spoken. He had soft blond hair that fell to the tips of his ears and blue eyes that were soft and warm and lit with understanding as he gazed at Harry. Walking toward Logan and Teddy, Harry turned his gaze back to the furious Pyro, “If you move or try anything at all I won’t be responsible for responding to a threat against Teddy’s and mine safety” The angry blonde shifted and sat back in his seat still glaring at Harry but knowing it was unwise to push the Englishmen any further without knowing what he could do.

     Seeing that he wasn’t going to try anything Harry turned back to the other blonde, “I muted him, that’s all. When Teddy and I both leave the room it will lift and his voice will return.” Nodding the other leaned back then held a hand out to Harry, “Angel.” At Harry’s narrowed eyes the blonde chuckled and nodded his head in concession at the unspoken warning, “Warren, my name is Warren.” Harry’s eyes widened when he realized what a nickname like that would mean and shook the hand offered him, “Angel? So….. do you have wings?” At Warren’s nod, Harry gave an excited gasp and he leaned forward still gripping the hand in his, “Really? Can you fly with them?” Warren smirked and gave another nod then laughed when he saw Harry was literally bouncing in his excitement. “Will you show me later, would you like to fly with me?”

     Warren blinked at the raven startled, “Wait, you can fly too?” Harry nodded excitedly with a huge smile on his face, “I don’t have wings but I do have a way to fly.” Casting a curious look at Harry, Warren agreed to fly with Harry at a later date when they both had free time. He went to lean back in his chair when he noticed that his hand was still gripping Harry’s tightly, both boy blinked confused at their still linked hands then yanked away from each other with the tips of their ears burning red.

     Hearing a chuckle from his side Harry whipped around to face Logan, smacking him upside the head, “You hush, and don’t think I’ve forgotten you need to show me your claws. Behave mister or I will hurt you.” He continued to stare down at the shocked older man ignoring the gasps and giggles from the other teens in the room. Logan let out a snort and gently shifted Teddy completely to one arm and raised the other pointing it away from the others. Harry watched in slight shock and a sick morbid fascination as three metal claws slid from beneath the skin on his hands. He reached a cautious hand out and left it hovering over the back of the blade, emerald eyes shot to brown in silent question and Harry waited for a nod before lowering his fingers to run along the metal. It was surprisingly clean and  was slightly warm to the touch; and he ran the pad of his finger up the back to the tip and stared as a small drop of blood welled up at the puncture site.

     Logan stayed still as Harry inspected the metal, and his eye twitched slightly when the smell of blood reached his nose. His eyes searched Harry’s face for any hint of disgust or distrust, and Logan was slightly surprised to see only curiosity and a little bit of fascination. Even Rogue would flinch away when he pulled them out and most flat out refused to touch them at all. “Do they hurt, when they come out like that I mean?” Logan’s eyes snapped back to Harry’s and smirked slightly, he really shouldn’t be surprised that the kid was curious; after everything he just heard about him he’d be more worried if the kid acted scared. Keeping eye contact Logan nodded slightly, “Yeah, every time.”

     Harry cocked his head and removed his hand from the blade so Logan could pull them back and he watched in awe as the skin and muscle healed itself, looking unblemished as if razor sharp claws had not just sliced through it. He reached out grabbing the hand pulling it to his face checking closely at the site the claws protrude from, “Hmmm, that’s a nifty mutation you have there.” The Wolverine snorted and pulled his hand back, trying not to think about the soft warm hands that just held his like it was something precious and rested it against Teddy again, “Super nifty. Weren’t you supposed to be cooking?” Hands firmly on his hips Harry scoffed, “Yes, yes I was. For me,” and with that he turned back to the counter and began fixing his meal ignoring the grumbles from behind and the laughter from three of the teens. Looking over his shoulder his eyes landed on Rogue, “What about you, what’s your power?”

     Harry watched as the girl lowered her eyes and turned her slightly away from him. Abandoning his cooking once more he walked to stand in front of her, "What's the matter?" He was confused when Rogue turned to Logan raising one eyebrow in silent question, having a conversation only the two could understand.  "Tell him, he ain't gonna judge you kid."

     Seeing that this was really bothering her Harry slipped into the seat across from her and just waited until she was comfortable telling him. Her voice was very quiet and withdrawn when she spoke, “Promise you won’t freak out or anything?” At Harry’s nod Rogue took in a deep breath and brought her eyes to his, “My power is dangerous, when I touch someone, it drains the person.” At Harry’s wide eyes Rogue smiled sadly, “I get memories of their life and experiences, like it was me that went through it all. If it’s a mutant, I get their powers for a short period of time, but if I hold on too long I could kill them.”

      Harry cast a glance at her hand then looked back up at her, “Is it skin to skin contact?” At Rogues nod he reached out and grabbed her gloved hand causing her to gasp and try and pull back. “I am not afraid of you, and I never want you to be scared to come to me. You’re a sweet girl Rogue and I will ask you to babysit.” Harry chose to ignore the gasps from the others and focus solely on the teen in front of him, his face never changing from the soft understanding that lit his features. Blinking back the mist that tried to cover her eyes Rogue stared at Harry, “Why, why would you...I mean after what I just told you?!” Harry smiled sadly at the girl and clenched her hand tighter, “Because I know what it’s like to be judged and avoided based on something I had no control over.”

     Lowering her eyes Rogue stared at her gloved hand cradled tightly in Harry’s pale slender one and couldn’t stop the fresh tears that ran down her face. Harry smiled at her and reached for a small towel and gently wiped the tears from her face, “Rogue I want to talk to you more later, there is something I want to try, because I’m not normal or a mutant.” Rogue’s head snapped up as she looked at the emerald eyed teen, “What are you then?” Harry sent her a cheeky wink and a secretive smile, “That my Dear, is a secret for the moment, but you may learn soon.” Seeing that she would get no more information Rogue reached up to rub at her eyes and gave a small smile to Harry then glanced at the baby in Logan’s arms.

     Seeing where he eyes went Harry released her hand and rounded the table plucking Teddy from the massive arms of Logan ignoring the pout and grumbles from said man, then turned to face Rogue. “Skin covered on your arms?” At Rouge’s eager nod Harry gently set Teddy in her arms adjusting him to make them both comfortable with the hold. “I’ve never held a baby before, he’s so tiny.” Amber eyes looked up into green and a happy coo was heard throughout the room, causing Harry to smile at the two and Logan’s lips to twitch mumbling a quiet ‘Thank You’ to Harry as the emerald eyed teen went back to his cooking. Harry gave a quick look over his shoulder at the final teen who hadn’t spoken a word the entire time, “You’ve been very quiet, anything you want to ask?” The young teen gave him a small smile, “Bobby, or IceMan if you prefer. I’m curious as to why you’re here?”

     The teens in the room all watched curious as Harry’s eyes dimmed slightly and he turned back to the stove, letting out a sad sigh. He thought on how he should answer, should he be honest and tell them he’s running from his own government, or would that bring up more unnecessary questions. Emerald eyes stared unfocused at the liquid in the pot while concerned brown and green watched him from the table. Figuring that Harry had been in his own world long enough Logan grabbed the small burp towel, wadded it up and chunked it at Harry’s head.

     Harry blinked and turned to look at Logan in question, before a whisper of a gruff voice played in his head. ‘ _If you feel uncomfortable just focus on me…._ ’ Harry’s eyes widened slightly and then he smiled brightly at the wild man in thanks. He turned to look at Bobby and gave a sad smile, “I needed a place to escape to that would allow me and Teddy sanctuary, and Professor Xavier gave us that. I am sorry but that is all I will tell you today.” Bobby nodded and leaned back in his chair and along with the others thought over what they just learned. Cocking his head to the side Harry gave the quiet teen a small smile and left the soup he was cooking and reached into the cabinet by the fridge to pull out a bottle and handed it to Bobby.

     The brown eyed teen just looked at the bottle then back at Harry with a disbelieving look on his face causing Harry to snort when he caught it. “It’s not for me”, was all he said as he pointed to Logan and raised an eyebrow at Bobby. Frowning the teen stared at the bottle and shot Harry a disapproving look, “You do know that this is a school right?”

     Harry’s eyes narrowed at him as the judgemental look struck a nerve, flicking a hand behind him the spoon in the pot began to stir the food while Harry kept his focus on one in front of him. “You do know that he’s well over 21 and I would hope that you are smart enough and have enough willpower not to drink it.” Not taking his eyes off Bobby’s Harry put both hands on his hips and tilting his lips in a slight sneer, “I would also hope that you have enough brain cells to NOT alert the younger years as to where the beer is stashed.” Reaching out Harry snatched the bottle back, and quietly whispered the spell over the bottle and handed it to Logan.

     Logan hid the smirk that was blooming over his face by popping the cap off the beer and taking a deep drink, he liked this feeling. The feeling of someone else taking up for him, the feeling of being trusted not to hurt something so delicate as the baby that wiggled in Rogue’s arms. Logan’s eyes travelled to Harry and he gave him a quick glance over, the teen looked pissed; puffed up like a house cat who's been angered. Logan snorted to himself, he really should let someone else defend him, he was quite capable of doing that on his own but it felt nice to just lean back and watch. He frowned and focused his attention back on the conversation when he noticed the dark look in Harry’s eyes as he stared down at IceMan, something really was starting to piss the teen off even more.

     “I can’t believe you would allow someone so dangerous to hold a defenseless baby and let someone drink around him, that’s not good parenting!” Emerald eyes narrowed in anger at the judgemental swill that was being word vomited at him. “Yes because you know all about good parenting, correct?” Harry’s voice lowered and took on a deeper more dangerous tone as he stepped closer to Bobby, “Let me tell you about ‘bad parenting’; bad parenting is sticking your child in a cupboard for 11 years, bad parenting is starving your child when they do something wrong, BAD parenting is beating your child at the age of 4 because they asked what their name was, only to be told that is was ‘freak.”

     With each step Harry took toward Bobby,  Logan could feel the air in the room start to crackle, and could taste the energy on his tongue. Setting his beer down Logan stood and took a cautious step toward Harry reaching out and resting his hand on the teens shoulder. When nothing happened to him he pulled the raven into his arms gently forcing the teens nose into his shoulder where it met his neck. “Easy, kid. You don’t want to hurt anyone and you don’t want to scare the cub do you?” Feeling Harry stiffen at the last sentence Logan shot a quick glance to the baby in Rogue’s arms and noticed Teddy was completely still not making a sound or twitching a muscle, the only movement was a slow blink as amber eyes focused on Harry. Letting out a sigh that the little one was ok Logan focused on Harry once again, running a rough hand through wild locks and letting out soft growls from deep within his chest that were meant to reassure the silent mass of anger in his arms.

     Taking a deep breath, inhaling the pure wild scent from the flesh in front of him, Harry focused on the rumbles coming from Logan. Reaching up Harry fisted his hands in the shirt the man wore trying to calm down, the last thing he wanted to do was to scare Teddy. Letting out a sigh Harry lifted his head from Logan’s shoulder and peered up into calm brown eyes, giving a weak smile he mumbled softly, “I’m ok, I’m calm. I need to see Teddy.” Logan nodded and stepped back, releasing Harry so he could take Teddy from Rogue and cuddle the little body to his chest.

     Harry bit his lip as he hugged his godson close, checking to make sure his little cub wasn’t scared or hurt in any way. Seeing that he wasn’t hurt only being extra clingy, as little hands latched onto Harry’s shirt and a tiny face burrowed into his shoulder, Harry turned his attention back to Bobby. “Let me explain something very clearly to you, how I raise Teddy is of no concern to you, you are nothing to me. As long as he is healthy and happy and not causing too much trouble I will raise him as I want, and none of the judgemental words you say will change that.” Taking a deep breath Harry stepped away from the teens and focused on the food, completely using magic to do the final preparations and spoon it into two bowls, one for himself and one for Logan.

     Turning to Rogue Harry sent her a small smile and spoke softly, “I am sorry for the words one of your peers said, I would still like it if you would come and talk to me one day…,” he smiled at her and lowered his voice into a conspiratory whisper while looking around the room in an exaggerated manner, “...and to babysit one day.” Laughing quietly Rogue leaned in to ‘whisper’ “I will, Teddy is very cute and very well behaved.”

     Standing straight Harry beamed at her then turned his attention to Warren, who had been quiet for quite some time now, “I still hope we can go flying soon, it has been far too long for me.” Smirking at the raven, Warren stood and gently lifted Harry’s hands to his lips giving the back a small kiss, “It would be an honor, is this weekend good for you?” Harry blinked at amused blue eyes and felt his face flame as he stuttered out a ‘yes’. He stiffened when he heard a snort behind him and turned to face Logan, punching him softly in the arm then hissing in slight pain when he pulled his hand back. The pout that took over his face only made Logan laugh harder, before he yipped out in pain rubbing a bruised sore spot on his arm watching as the bruise faded quickly from his skin. He glared at Harry as the teen smirked, “I don’t have to touch you to hurt you, please do well to remember that. Now if all the drama is over and done with I would like to eat; Rogue, Warren there is some left, please feel free to eat it.” Without giving anyone a chance to reply Harry snatched his bowl from the air and walked out of the kitchen with a cooing baby in his arms, an angry Pyro echoing behind and a laughing Logan trailing behind him as they walked to Harry’s room closing the door halting all noise.

 

     During Harry and Logan’s time in the kitchen, Professor Charles Xavier remained with Scott and Ororo, thinking over everything he had learned. He knew most of it, learned from his short talk with the goblin, but to hear it from the boys own mouth and to hear all the little details of the trials was shocking. “Professor, will he be ok? I mean caring for a small child after everything he’s been through?” Charles’ head snapped toward Scott and gave the man a slight glare, “I can guarantee that there would be no one better to care for Teddy.” Seeing the small flash of anger in the elder man’s eyes Scott raised his hands in surrender, “I was merely asking, I have nothing against the boy.” Nodding curtly Charles turned his focus on Ororo, “What do you think Storm?”

     The mocha skinned woman released a sigh and crossed her legs not caring that the sadness she felt for the young man was clearly seen across her face. “I am sad for him, he has had such a hard life for one so young.” Leaning back and letting a small smile overcome her face, Ororo looked directly into Charles’ eyes. “I am also in awe of him. So many things have gone wrong and so many people have turned on him, and yet that small boy can still smile, can still laugh, and he still has love in his heart to care for one not of his own blood.” Standing she made her way to the window staring out at the grounds around the manor. “He will be ok, Logan will make sure of that.”

     Xavier smiled at her and nodded, “Yes, yes I think you’re right. Logan will take care of him.” His smile widened at Scott’s snort and practically beamed at Ororo’s parting comment, “Logan will be good for him, there is no doubt of that, but Harry and Teddy will be good for Logan as well.” Scott watched slightly shocked as the woman left the office, turning to look at Charles, Scott raised an eyebrow in question. Chuckling softly Charles watched Scott from the corner of his eye, “Watch them Scott, that’s all. Just watch how they are together.” Letting out an aggravated sigh Scott lowered his head, “Fine, I’ll watch. I still think that there is no way Logan could be good for anyone.” Charles laughed lightly and subtly waved Scott from his office, “Do try to behave Scott, I would like to keep Harry around for a while.” Scoffing Scott stood and made his way to the door, “I’ll do my best, but I make no promises if Logan’s around. He brings out the worst in me.” With that Scott left the office shaking his head at the light laughter that followed behind.

  


     Later that night after Logan had left him after a quick tour of the campus Harry sat at his desk gently rubbing Teddy’s back as he napped on his godfather’s lap. The green eyed teen stared down at the tiny baby and let his mind wander for a short time, thinking back on the people who helped him get away. Coming to a decision Harry stood gently and padded to the crib laying Teddy down, checking to make sure he was secure in his bed and nothing around him could harm him. Quietly setting a ward around the crib Harry walked back to his desk pulling the stack of parchment towards him. Snatching a pen Harry thought about what to write and who to send it too, to make sure it reached the people it was meant for. After a short moment of thought he put the tip to the paper and began writing.

     After penning out a quick letter to those back home Harry hopped up from his chair and peeked in on the sleeping Teddy, smiling happily when he noticed amber eyes watching him closely. “Would you like to go for a walk Cub? I have a small favor to ask of the Goblins.” Cooing wildly with little arms flailing about Teddy made little grabby motions at his caregiver. Harry laughed scooping up the baby, cocking him on his hip and before heading out stopped to write another quick note with some instructions for the person he needed to talk to, then headed out the door toward the office of Charles Xavier.

     Stepping up to the door Harry knocked softly and waited for his entrance to be granted. After hearing a ‘Come In’, Harry pushed the door open and smiled at the older male. “I’m sorry to bother you but I was wondering if your fireplace was still connected to the floo network?” Charles blinked at Harry for a moment until the new word clicked in his mind, “It’s possible, I’m not entirely sure how it works but you are more than welcome to try it.” Thanking the Professor, Harry stepped up to the fireplace and was about to kneel when he turned to Charles, “One more question…” At the Professor’s nod Harry continued in a soft voice, “Just in case it’s not connected I’d rather not have him so close to the fire. Do you mind holding him for a moment?”

     Charles laughed and wheeled himself closer to Harry holding his arms out for the giggling baby, “Not at all, I’m happy you would trust me to hold him for you.” Smiling gratefully Harry handed Teddy over to Charles and let a small laugh out when the baby stilled in the new person’s arms, then Harry laughed outright when a tiny hand reached up and smacked the bald professor on the head cackling like mad. “I’m sorry, I guess he’s just used to people with hair.”  Shifting the tiny body into a safer position on his lap Charles waved Harry off,  “Think nothing of it. He’s a curious little thing and that could be both good and bad.”

     Chuckling Harry just shook his head turning to kneel in front of the fireplace, then cursed softly to himself. “It won’t work anyways.” At Charles’ confused look Harry let out a sigh, “I don’t have any floo powder.” Harry watched with sad eyes as the Professor turned and returned to his desk and started rifling through one of the drawers. “Ah hah, I’m glad I kept this.” Charles held his hand out and nodded for Harry to take it, “Is this what you need?” Harry looked at the small bag that was now in his hand and slowly opened it, not wanting to get his hopes up. Seeing the fine powder in the bag Harry let out a happy laugh, “Yes, this is what I need. Thank you.”

     Without waiting on a response Harry turned back to the fire and tossed a small amount in the flames and watched with a smile as they shifted from the normal orange/red to a vibrant green. Charles watched fascinated as Harry stuck his head in the flames and shouted ‘Gringotts’, he could vaguely hear Harry speaking and nothing from the person on the other end of the fire. Figuring he could ask Harry when he came back Charles in turn focused on Teddy in his arms, cooing and playing with the happy baby.

     After shoving his head in and calling out for Ragnok’s office, Harry waited for an answer and smiled when he saw the elder goblin come from around his desk. “Lord Potter-Black what can I do for you?” Remembering that London was 6 hours ahead, Harry bowed his head as much as he could and spoke to the Head Goblin clearly, “Good Morn Lord Goblin, I am sorry to bother you so early but I have a request if you so please.” Giving a grin that would scare any sane person Ragnok bowed his head as well, “And what is this request Lord Potter-Black?” Harry reached his arm through the flames and handed the Goblin the two notes. “I humbly ask that you deliver the letter to the Weasley Matriarch and move things around the way the other note asks.”

     Ragnok looked over the second note and gave Harry a nod showing he understood, “I will do ask you ask Lord Potter-Black, and as a service we will not charge you for it.” Harry beamed at the Goblin, “Thank you Lord Goblin, may your day shine as bright as the gold in your vaults.” Chuckling at the teen Ragnok waved him off, “You are welcome Harry, and may your night be as calm as the vaults are deep.” Waving bye to the goblin Harry pulled his head from the fire and turned toward Charles only to stop short when he noticed three extra pairs of eyes staring at him in shock.

     Chuckling nervously Harry gave a jaunty wave before laughing outright when he noticed that at some point Logan had come in and stolen Teddy from a pouting Professor Xavier. Shaking his head Harry turned to a shocked Scott and gave him a small shaky wave while moving subtly toward Logan. The last person in the room made Harry stop short, he was a large man if you could call him that. He stood around 5’11 and his entire body was covered in blue fur and he had friendly blue eyes. Harry shook himself out of the stupor he fell in and raised a hand toward the azure man, “Hello, I’m Harry Potter and the baby that Logan is hoarding is my godson Teddy.”

     The blue man laughed and reached out to grip Harry’s hand, “Hank McCoy, or Beast if you prefer.” Harry snorted and waved the name away, “Hank will do.” Harry then turned to face Logan and missed the slight smile on Hank’s face, “Do you think I can have him back?” Both Scott and Hank looked on in surprise as Logan actually pouted and pulled the tiny baby closer to his chest. “I got him, you just answer questions.” Harry stood staring Logan down for a moment before sighing and giving in, “Fine, ask away.”

     “What were you doing in the fire?” Harry heard Hank ask from behind him. Turning to face the beast man Harry held up the little bag of floo powder, “I was talking to my bank manager in London. This bag has something called ‘floo powder’ in it.”  He quickly handed the bag over when Hank held his hand out in question. “It’s a travel/communication powder, when tossed into a fireplace that is connected to the floo network the flames flair green letting you know it’s connected. While the flames are green you can either stick your head in to talk to someone else, like I just did or you completely step into the flames to travel.” Harry laughed at the disbelief that stretched across the faces of the of the three newcomers.

     Taking the small bag back from Hank, Harry pulled a pinch from it and walked to the fireplace tossing it in, smiling at the sharp intake of breath from those behind him. “Who wants to join me? I’m going to call another bank manager for assistance.” Harry laughed at the eager look that came over Hank’s face. “Come on Big Guy, just stick your head in.” Nervously Hank kneeled next to Harry and slowly slid his head into the flames. Harry smiled and placed his head in next to Hank’s and called out “Gringotts-Griphook”.

     Hank sucked in a deep breath as he felt the spinning and swirling sensation take over his head and coughed loudly when the spinning stopped. “Lord Potter-Black what can I do for you?” Hank’s head snapped toward the voice and his eyes widened. “Good Morn Griphook, I was calling to warn you of what might happen within the next couple of days. I have asked for some money to be put aside for the Weasley's so if they come in demanding it be taken back or something of that sort, do not let them. It’s theirs and I want them to keep it.” Grinning a grin that made Hank shiver, Griphook nodded in agreement, “It will be done Lord Potter-Black. I’ll make sure of it.” Returning his grin Harry bowed his head in thanks, “It was good to talk to you again Griphook and may the blood of your enemies continue to run for as long as the sun remains in the sky.”

     Hank glanced at Harry from the corner of his eyes, frowning slightly at the words the young teen had just spoken, he was about to open his mouth to ask when the small creature returned the bow and spoke in a harsh voice, “It was good to see you again Lord Potter-Black, and may you be blessed with ‘Felix Felicis’ running through your veins.” Smiling at the small creature Harry said one final goodbye and pulled his head back from the flames causing Hank to follow his lead very quickly, not missing the smirk on the creatures face.

     When his head finished spinning Hank stood from the floor and stared down at Harry, “What was all that?” Slowly Harry stood from the floor, crossing the room to sit in a chair as he explained, “The place we went to is called Gringotts, it’s the bank for people in my world. The person I just spoke too was Griphook, a Goblin.”  Harry laughed out right when three pairs of eyes widened and started sputtering out questions. Holding his hand up to quiet them down Harry kept talking while fighting back his chuckles, “Goblins are harsh beings that have little love for other races. They have been mistreated by Witches and Wizards through the ages and stomped down because they were believed to be below humans.” Harry let his eyes show the sadness he felt at the unfair treatment of the goblins, and the others in the room let their respect for the young man show as well.

     “The Goblins are a race with deep rooted traditions and they don’t take disrespect kindly at all. They have a fierce love of gold and do not play around with it, that’s why most goblins are bankers or investors. Stealing from them or anyone  is a cardinal sin and will not be tolerated. They have spells and traps all over the bank and vaults for those that do try to steal. They did have a dragon for a long time.” Harry cocked his head to the side thinking, “They respect me because I respect them. I alway greet them in the proper fashion and I don’t treat them any differently then I would you or a stranger on the street.”

     Charles looked at Harry closely and smiled at the young man, “You truly are a special child and I am so very glad to be able to help you.” Harry smiled at the Professor and nodded his agreement, “I’m glad as well. I think I’ll really like it here.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

    Back in England the Weasley’s were all sitting around the table, resting after the ordeal they had all just been through. “I hope he’s ok. He had to run right after all that.” Molly turned to look at her daughter and smiled sadly at her. “I’m sure he’s fine dear. The goblins sent him somewhere safe.” Ginny sighed softly then turned to look at her brothers.

    Ron looked the worse, he had to say ‘Goodbye’ to his best friend when he slipped into the forest to face Voldemort alone, then wasn’t able to talk to him at all before he was whisked away. The lanky redhead teen looked upset that his own girlfriend was plotting against Harry, after Ron had been told he had raged for hours against it all.

    The twins were in their own world; no doubt plotting against the bushy haired teen, or harridan as they kept calling her. Their heads were close together and every once in a while Bill would lean over and whisper something to the twins that would cause them to grin evilly and nod.

    Bill was just as bad as the twins sitting there with his wife. Fleur would frown and turn to look at her husband and whisper in his ear, and he would in turn lean toward the twins and convey the message.

    Charlie just sat there staring off out the window hoping beyond all hope that Harry was ok and he was safe.

    Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were busy in the kitchen trying to make sure all their children were ok, passing out tea and placing plates full of food in front of them begging them to eat.

    All nine startled at the sound of their floo flaring to life, and all nine were speechless as the Head Goblin stepped from the flames. Mr. Weasley was the fastest to gather his wits, standing and bowing at the elder goblin. “Lord Goblin, it is an honor to have you in our humble home. May I ask what brings the Great Slayer Ragnok here?”   
    Ragnok blinked at Mr. Weasley for a moment before smiling a crooked grin at the man, “I come with a letter for you all. Please read it well and know that it speaks the truth and the words written here are final.”

    In a daze Arthur Weasley reached out for the letter, softly taking it from the goblin. “Thank you. We will read it well.” Nodding the goblin stepped back into the flames then turned and focused on the others in the room saying one final thing before disappearing to the bank. “You also might want to get a hold of Miss Lovegood and the Young Heir Longbottom.” Arthur nodded then turned to his family, “Ginny will you send an owl to the Lovegood’s and I’ll floo for Neville?” Jumping up without answering Ginny ran to get paper and a quill quickly writing out a note for Luna. Before she could attach it to Pig’s leg there was a knock at the front door and Molly hustled out of the room to answer it. When she walked back in the room the entire Weasley family was shocked to see Luna trailing along behind her.

    The waif like blonde merely smiled and waved at them all, “Hello. The Snorkack told me I might be needed here, so I decided to come down for a visit.” Smiling at the girl Ginny bounced over to give her a hug, holding her tightly. “Yeah, we needed you for something. A goblin just stopped by with a letter telling us to get you and Neville. He also said that what was written was the truth and it was final.” Luna smiled and patted Ginny on the back, “It would seem that the Raven has found a voice.” With this one statement everyone’s heads snapped up and Arthur rushed to the floo to hurry and get Neville in the house.

    Ten minutes later the Weasley’s, Luna and Neville were all seated around the large kitchen table waiting with bated breath as Molly snatched the letter from her husband and opened it, reading the words out loud for all of them to here...

 

_Family, Friends, and The Demons of Gryffindor,_

_I want to start off by saying Thank You. I wish I could think of a more powerful word to use but I honestly do not think that there is a strong enough word to convey how grateful I am for all of the help and love you have given me over the years. I cannot say much, I don’t know when this will reach you but I had to try. I had to let you all know that I was ok. I’m in a safe place and the cub and I being taken care of. The pack seems to be growing, we’ve collected an Angel, an Omega, and a Wolverine.  They seem nice, I think I’ll keep them around._

_Mum, Dad; everything is ok. We’ll settle here for a while then move on. I’ll write when I can, and hope that these reach you, but I’m sorry I can’t give you the return address. I can’t risk the cub, I won’t risk him._

_Demons;Thank you, and keep everyone laughing. Don’t ever stop making the world smile. We’ll need that more than ever now._

_Brother Mine; You will forever be my best friend and I am eternally grateful that you came into my carriage that first year. I’m sorry I left without saying anything, but it needed to be this way. What she did was NOT your fault and I never want you to think that. Just know that I love you, and this is not “Goodbye” it’s a “See ya later”._

_Packmate; Thank you, for being that beacon that led me to a better place. I’m having Gringotts repay you for all the things you bought for us. I won’t take no for an answer, save it if you must for when you have a cub of your own. Give my sister-in-law a hug for me as well._

_Dragon; we didn’t know each other well but I am honored to call you family. Thank you for looking out for us when you could._

_Baby Sister; I am sorry I didn’t get to see you before I left. I will miss you and I can’t thank you enough for staying beside me when no one else would. I’ll see you again._

_My Bright Moon, There are no words to describe how happy and thankful I am to have met you that year. The world may look at you strangely, but you have always made sense to me even when I didn’t realize it immediately. Keep your head in the clouds, you always see much more up there than if you were on the earth with the rest of us._

_The Sword, you have grown and yet stayed the same through our years together. From a meek boy into a warrior. I am happy I got to know you and share a house with you these past years. You were always someone I could count on to listen and give sound advice when I needed it. Make no mistake, we won…..because of YOU. Never let someone take that away from you. Stand tall Lion Warrior, you deserve it._

_I’ll write again when I can, and I promise to keep you all up to date on the cub, to let you know how he’s doing. I love you all and I’ll miss you greatly._

_Ah, before I forget I had Ragnok move money into all of your accounts. And you can’t give it back...muahahaha._

_Mum, Dad...use it to have a vacation without the kids. Spoil yourself because no one deserves it more than you two._

_Demons….use it to make more laughter. Spread ‘WWW’ throughout the WORLD and make it number one! (Also…. make something safe around Muggles, there are people who need to be taught some things)_

_Brother Mine…. Take a vacation, buy a new broom, new clothes, do whatever you want. I’d give you the world if I could, but you’ll have to settle for money for now._

_Packmate…. Take my sister-in-law on a fabulous honeymoon and buy her all the things she wants. Spoil that wonderful woman and get out of the tombs for a while. Also, I want a niece or nephew...the cub needs a playmate._

_Dragon…. Spend time with your family. They love and miss you. And take some time to relax and not fight with dragons._

_Baby Sister…. live and buy all the clothes you want. Be a girl and have fun. Go and do a spa day with the other girls and do whatever it is you all do during that._

_My Bright Moon…. use it to find all the mystical and magical creatures you can. Just make sure you buy a special pair of earrings as well from me. Live well._

_The Sword….I know that you have money of your own and you have no need for more, but oh well. Do whatever you want with it, save, invest, donate, or build a money tower._

_I know that money is not a replacement for the time we have spent together or that we could have spent together, but it’s all I can do at the moment. I’ve also asked that some of the money be donated to help rebuild Hogwarts, she needs to be brought back to her former glory. Take care all of you._

_And remember so it has been written so it shall be._

_See you all when I can,_

_Raven_

  


     All eleven pairs of eyes were wide open in shock at the words Harry had written to them all, and all at once the voices rang out:

     “MUM…. did you hear Arthur;  He called me MUM again!”

     “A vacation…. Molly-Wobbles did you hear!? We can go on a proper honeymoon now!”

     “Demons! How dare he…..” “We prefer ‘The Twin Terrors”

      “He called me his brother, even after everything, I’m still his brother.”

      “Packmates huh? I like it. Wait…. a niece or nephew! Isn’t it a bit soon for that?”

      “We can go anywhere Bill, lets go somewhere new!”

     “A rest huh…. I think I can do that.”

     “Do what girls do? That bastard.”

  
      "Hmmm…. I guess I could go searching through the Amazon for the Nargles.”

     “Sword…. he called me a Warrior…. Do you really think so?”

 

     When all the shouts quieted down Molly pulled out a separate sheet of paper that had been attached to the letter and after a quick read through she let out a shocked yell and slumped into a chair. Standing quickly Bill ran to his mother looking over her shoulder at the paper that had caused the reaction, and like her he slumped into a chair with a stunned look. Not liking that no one was saying anything Ron stood and snatched the paper quickly reading at and blinking at the amount listed for them all on the Gringotts bank statement…”He left us each about 100,000 galleons.”

     The other in the room blinked at the tall redhead before they all stood and shouted, “He did WHAT?”


	4. Years in a Pensive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snippets of Harry and Teddy's life at the manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first let me just say I am SOOOO sorry it took so long to get back here. The universe started beating my life with a very sturdy 2X4 and shit just kinda went BOOM. So yeah..... this long chapter is my way of saying I'm sorry for just vanishing.
> 
> Also I put their life on fast forward so I could get them to New York City quicker and so Logan will stop trying to steal poor little Harry before he even meets Bruce. So yeah that's why this one skips around a lot. 
> 
> I'm also setting up a side multi chapter fic that goes along with this one where I can write out things that wont make it into the main one. Like the Weasley's reaction to Hermione and all that jazz. 
> 
> And now I shut up and kinda move away so you can read. Thank you all for sticking with me and waiting it out. It appears that things have calmed down so there should be no more issues with updates. 
> 
> Ok.... now really.... Thank you and Woot here's a chapter!!!!

 

        Harry groaned as he rolled over and tried to bury under his pillow desperately wanting the wailing next to his head to quiet down, only to snap to attention as he remembered the small boy he was caring for. Stumbling from under the covers he made his way to the crib and gently lifted the small boy and rocked and cooed at him trying to calm him down. Sniffing at the diaper clad bottom, Harry reared back trying not to gag at the foul smell leaching out from the small body in his arms.

 

      “What the hell are you sneaking in your mouth to make THAT smell?” Shaking his head Harry quickly moved to the changing table to rid Teddy of the full diaper and clean him up a bit.

 

      He could only sigh gratefully as the loud wail tapered off into a muffled whimper before quieting down. Waving a hand over the mess on the table Harry vanished the mess and carried Teddy into the bathroom to give him a bath and take a quick shower for himself.

 

    Once they were both cleaned and dried off Harry walked silently back into the bedroom only to stop dead at the sight of Logan reclining lazily across his bed with his eyes closed. Green eyes blinked slowly at the sight and not by his own control roved over the tight muscles hidden beneath well fitted jeans and white A-Shirt.

 

    Realizing where his mind was taking him Harry quickly turned away from the sight and desperately hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt. Coughing slightly facing the wall he brought the wild man’s awareness to him, causing Harry to miss the hungry look that quickly flashed in dark brown eyes.

 

    Sitting up Logan smirked at the lithe teen wrapped only in a towel and allowed his eyes to run from head to toe only to frown at the mass of crisscrossing scars covering the boys chest and arms. Trying to ignore the soft growl that was bubbling in his chest Logan stood and walked the few feet to stand in front of the raven haired teen.

 

    He reached his arms out for the six month old, ignoring the need to run his hands over the tan arms wrapped tightly around the small body.

 

   “Give me the kid so you can go get dressed.” Green eyes snapped to focus and slightly wide on the male before him, never having noticed him move so close. After a few moments fighting with his clouded brain Harry nodded and trustingly handed over his godson with little thought. Smiling slightly at the trust given to him Logan went and sat on the bed to wait for Harry to return from getting dressed.

 

   Reaching into the toy chest close by Logan pulled out a small rattle shaking it softly being watched closely by bright amber eyes. He was so focused on the small child in his arms that he never noticed Harry come back into the room dressed, leaning against the doorframe watching the two of them.

 

    Brown eyes watched as a small hand reached out to grab the rattle holding it tightly and passing it from hand to hand as childish giggles and sounds filled the room. Logan couldn’t help but smile at the chatter and nod or give a mumbled ‘Really’ when Teddy paused in his babble and stared up at him as if expecting an answer. The first few times it happened he merely figured it a coincidence, but changed his mind quickly when he didn’t answer quick enough for the six month old and was met with a baby version of a glare. Snorting softly he gave a gravely ‘Sorry’ and blinked when Teddy seemed nod at him and continued on in his babble.

 

    Harry blinked at the interaction between the two mentally going over what he had read in the baby books Molly had given him. Teddy was only six months old, he didn’t think he should be that aware of the people around him. Making a note to read those books again Harry pushed off from the wall and walked to the duo on the bed, running his hand through the soft brown hair.

 

    Smiling softly at Logan, Harry gently patted the older man on the head gesturing for him to follow.

 

    “Come on old man, let’s feed the minion and you can show me around some more.”

 

    Snorting loudly Logan hefted himself up off the bed holding tightly to the child in his arms, “Lead the way brat, and call me old man again and I’ll prove how this old man can get one up on you.”

 

    Smirking Harry shot Logan a cheeky wink, “I’d like to see you try. It should be good for your heart to get some exercise.” A loud barking laugh escaped Logan before he shot an arm out to try and grab Harry, and he growled softly as the teen danced lightly out of reach.

 

    “Nice try Old Man, but you’ll have to try harder than that.” With a final smirk over his shoulder Harry gave a flirty wave and darted out of the room laughing as Logan took a heavy step toward him.

  


 

* * *

 

  


    Harry looked over the open grounds as he waited for Warren, Bobby and Rogue to join him so he could finally go fly. He had the forethought to dig in his trunk and fish out his snitch with the thought that it could be a bit entertaining for him and Warren to have a one-on-one match for the small golden ball. Sighing with a small smile on his face Harry turned to glance at Logan who was holding Teddy in his lap while the little boy clapped happily at the charmed Teddy Bear dancing and moving in front of him.

 

    Logan had hardly left the two Englishman's side during their short time here, and Harry couldn’t be more thankful for the elder man’s presence. He appreciated the brash and honest way Logan spoke, and he loved that he never had to guess his meaning or read between the lines. It was something he was only used too with certain people and he was glad the man turned out to be an amazing friend. It helped as well that Teddy seemed to adore the man as well, always reaching out to grab the elder man’s hand or whining to be picked up and held close.

 

    Harry couldn’t help but wonder if Teddy could smell the beast that surrounded the man. Whatever the reason Harry was grateful, he didn’t know what he would do if he had to handle it all on his own. However with that thought Harry couldn’t help but wonder why Logan seemed to enjoy being around them just as much. He hoped it was because the man counted them as friends and just wanted to be around them, not that he was being paid or told to put up with them.

 

    As if sensing his thoughts Logan turned to stare at Harry before picking up a small stone and chunking it at his head. Only years of seeker practice and living on the run let him dodge the stone just before it connected with his head.

 

    “Stop what you’re thinking right now. I’d like to think I know you well enough by now to know where your brain has gone. Have I lied to you? Or do I look like someone who would do something they didn’t want too?” Logan’s voice took on a harsh growl but his eyes still held the friendly light that always seemed to brighten his eyes when he was around them.

 

    Harry was slightly surprised to feel the slight misting of his eyes and turned his head quickly away from the intense eyes staring over at him. Shaking his head Harry let a relieved smile stretch across his lips, “No Logan, you don’t seem like that kind of person at all.”

 

     Rich brown eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by the arrival of the three teens. Logan gave a grunt of welcome to the students and turned his attention back to the giggly baby in his lap. The small boy let out a loud shriek of joy, clapping his hands loudly trying to reach out and touch the bear. When his tiny fingers just barely grazed the soft fur he turned to look at the large man behind him with a large smile pointing and babbling in excitement.

 

    Smiling softly Logan nodded and cooed back at Teddy making the small boy laugh and continue babbling at him. He made sure to focus entirely on the six month old and ignore the gaping the three teenager were doing. The only thing that mattered to him was the happiness of the child in his lap and the soft smile Harry was giving him.

 

    Harry turned from watching Logan play with Teddy to the winged boy standing to his left. Warren still looked a little confused on how exactly Harry expected to fly with him. Giving a crooked grin Harry reached in his pocket pulling out his shrunken Firebolt holding it out in the palm of his hand. He couldn’t help but grin wider when all three teens looked at his hand confused and he laughed lightly when their eyes all snapped to look at him. Tossing a wink at them he took a small step back and waved his other hand over the broom causing it to grow to it’s normal size.

 

    “The looks on your faces are quite amusing, however I have another thing to show Warren.” Without waiting on a response Harry pulled the snitch from his pocket and held it up to show it off. “This is a very special ball, it’s call a snitch and it’s wicked fast.” Letting the small ball rest in his hands he watched the teens faces as the tiny delicate wings unfolded, stretched and hovered lightly in the middle of his palm.

 

    “I figured you and I could play a little game, a seeker's game, and see which of us is faster and can catch this.” Harry smirked at the flicker of excitement that popped up in Warren’s eyes. Raising his hand slightly Harry sent the snitch off and watched as it circled around his head before repeating the process for Warren then shot off into the sky.

 

    Without another word both boys glanced at each other then took off into the sky, searching for the tiny golden ball.

 

                ~:~

 

    An hour later Harry and Warren landed back on the ground slightly breathless but smiling none the less, the snitch held tightly in Harry’s hand.

 

    “That thing is amazing and so fast,” Warren exclaimed after taking a long drink from the water bottle Rogue handed him. His hair was mussed from the strong winds, cheeks slightly red and eyes bright with excitement. He couldn’t even really be disappointed that he only caught the little ball once out of the 4 times they played. It was amazingly fun and he couldn’t wait to try again, hopefully he’d be able to win the next time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

    (October 31)

 

    All day Harry seemed out of sorts, like his mind was far off and couldn’t quite stay on topic. They all had noticed however none wanted to pry too far into what was going on. The young teen spent most of the afternoon outside resting in the higher branches of a tree close to the border of the school’s property, Teddy clutched to his chest in a desperate hug.

 

    The 6 month old rested quietly in his Godfather’s arms not fussing or even trying to move out of the tight grip. He merely rested his head in the cook of Harry’s neck breathing quietly, a small hand clutched in the T-shirt. Every once in a while Teddy would shift his head looking up at Harry before snuggling back into him.

 

    Logan had spent a good portion of the afternoon running around the school searching for the small Brit, wondering where he had vanished too. After finding nothing, not even a lingering scent hovering around, he went to find Professor Xavier to see if he could locate the missing Raven.

 

    Not even bothering to knock Logan threw the door to Charles’ office open and stomped up to the surprised man sitting behind the desk, not even giving a passing glance to Scott and Jean sitting in the chairs.

 

    “Can you locate him, he’s vanished and I can’t find him anywhere!” The three were slightly surprised to see the tightly clenched hands at his side and the slight worried look that Logan was doing his best to try and hide. “All his stuff is still here, so he has to be here somewhere.”

 

    Charles blinked at the frustrated and worried man in front of him and fought to keep the smile off his face. Nodding slightly Charles closed his eyes and began searching through the minds in the school to locate Harry. Every once in a while, from some of the students, he would see a glimmer of the boy looking lost and withdrawn but not enough to pinpoint his location.

 

    Sighing softly the bald man decided to just try and reach Harry directly, hoping that the young man wouldn’t get too angry at him for the intrusion. Finding the boy in the tree Charles softly brushed against the boys mind asking politely for entrance, letting the boy know he only wanted to talk. Minutes ticked by and Xavier worried that he would just be ignored and he would just have to let Logan know where he was, hoping he would be able to get the boy to talk. Just when he was about to pull back he felt the shift as Harry opened his mind and allowed him entrance.

 

    >Harry, Logan has been searching for you. Would it be ok if I told him where you were?<

 

    He heard Harry heave a small sigh and he let the boy think on whether or not he wanted company. He had no desire to rush Harry or demand answers from him, Charles would wait until he was ready, however he couldn’t help by gleam snippets of what Harry was thinking about.  When the boy spoke next it was quiet and choked with so much emotion that Charles ached to give the boy a hug.

 

    >That’s fine Professor. Can you also ask him to bring a bottle for Teddy as well?<

 

    Giving Harry an affirmative he pulled back into his own mind and slowly opened his eyes, looking up to meet the worried face of Logan, smiling softly as he noticed the small twitches of muscles showing how bad the man wanted to run to Harry.

 

    “He’s fine Logan, he’s in a tree on the south side of the manor and asked if you’ll bring a bottle for Teddy?” The only sign that he was head was the sharp nod Logan gave as he turned to walk back to the door. Logan paused in the doorway however when Charles spoke next, “Today is the anniversary of his parents death, please be kind to him Logan. I know you were worried about him but yelling at him for running and hiding will not end well.”

 

    With a quick glance over his shoulder Logan gave one last nod before making his way to the kitchen to make the bottle that was requested. On the way there he couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Harry always dealt with issues, being withdrawn and hiding until whatever it was passed by. Did he always try and handle things on his own?

 

    Letting out a frustrated grunt Logan pushed open the door to the kitchen only to stop dead when a bottle was shoved in his face. Blinking he looked past the bottle into the amused eyes of Rogue, and cocked his head in question.

 

    Rogue let out a small giggle and shook the bottle at him again, “Professor Xavier asked if I would have this ready for you so you could get to Harry.”

 

    Logan narrowed his eyes at her, not liking the smirk she had on her face, but decided to not comment on it at the moment and just take the bottle. Snatching it out of her hand he gave a gruff thanks and turned on his heel to exit the kitchen. He ignored her laughter and the patronizing ‘Say hi to Harry for us’ that followed behind him.

 

    Logan spotted Harry in the tree from a distance and picked up his pace to reach the boy’s hiding spot. Stopping at the bottom of the trunk he stared up at the slight teen observing the tenseness in the muscles and the slight vacant look in his eyes. Not liking how upset Harry looked he jumped to grip the lower branches and heave himself up, climbing swiftly to perch on the branch Harry was resting on.

 

    The wild man sat quietly waiting to see if he would be noticed by either Brit and growled softly when a minute passed and he was still ignored. Grunting Logan slid closer until he was directly in front of Harry and reached out to pluck the lithe body up into his arms and shifted to shit back against the trunk with Harry firmly in his lap. The teen’s back against his chest and the smaller body between his legs.

 

    “Logan what the hell?!”

 

    The older man gave no hint that he heard the outburst and merely held the bottle up to Harry’s face with a raised eyebrow and pointed look. Sighing softly Harry shifted until he was resting more comfortably in Logan’s lap and took the bottle from the still outstretched hand.

 

    After giving it a test on his wrist Harry held the bottle to Teddy’s waiting mouth and sat quietly as the boy fed. He really had no desire to explain to people why he was upset, he just wanted to be left alone to deal with it all on his own. This would be the first Halloween since turning 11 that nothing life threatening was going on and that he could just mourn quietly. He was dreading the moment Logan asked what was wrong or demanded the story from him.

 

    It was something he had dealt with every year, nothing but superficial pity for the poor “savior”. It made him sick to his stomach to deal with the sad looks and forced ‘I’m sorry’ from mouths who couldn’t care less how he felt, only that he did his “duty” and saved them all. This would have been the first year he could properly deal with the tragedy that had sent his life on a one way track to be a martyr.

 

    However he sat there long after Teddy had finished his bottle and fell asleep, waiting to see when Logan would breach the subject, but the questions never came. The elder man just sat there with Harry in his lap, head tilted back resting on the trunk eyes closed and running a hand absentmindedly through Harry’s hair and the other thick arm wrapped around his waist holding him securely against his chest. He soon realized that the older man just wanted to comfort him, in his own awkward way. Harry soon began to relax against the broad chest behind him and turned his head slightly, his nose brushing slightly over the thick corded neck inhaling the wild scent that he was quickly associating with safety.

 

    Resting fully against the body behind him Harry sagged into Logan and clenched his eyes shut tight. Taking a deep breath Harry raised one hand moving it to grip the hand around his waist latching onto the comfort offered, the other still wrapped tightly around his sleeping godson and whispered the only two words spoken between the two of them for the remainder of the time.

 

    “Thank You.”

  


* * *

 

 

 

 

    Logan watched as Harry played on the floor with a year old Teddy, helping him to learn his shapes and colors with a small plastic toy. The little boy would shriek happily and clap his hands every time Harry told him how proud he was when he matched the colors or shapes. After Teddy would pick up another piece show it to Harry and Logan waiting for them to explain what it was and would try to mimic the sounds they said.

 

    The past six months with the duo seemed to have flown by in a flurry of bright colored chaos and Logan found he didn’t much mind how domestic it all felt. He enjoyed the happy squeals and wet kisses he would receive from Teddy when the little boy saw him each day, and the sweet smiles and lingering hugs from Harry weren’t all too bad either. Logan smiled as he thought about the green eyed boy and how he was slowly becoming more comfortable with all of them in the manor.

 

    Everyday Harry would smile brighter and laugh louder then the day before, and it made them all happy to know he was slowly healing from everything that had happened. They all knew however that Teddy was the best medicine for the young man and if they didn’t know any better they would say that the little boy knew it too. After every nightmare or bad day where Harry’s thoughts would take him down a bad memory, that sweet little boy would call out or toddle to give his godfather a large hug. Those moments never failed to bring Harry back to the present and cause him to smile widely.

 

    Logan still remembered the day Teddy called Harry ‘Dada’, it had been a odd shocking experience for the teen and it took them all days to get him to understand that it didn’t mean he was taking Remus’ place. Now every time it happened Harry would just smile and leave a sweet kiss on Teddy’s forehead whispering a soft, ‘I love you baby boy.’ The most shocking for them all was the day Teddy’s metamorphic abilities came through after his first birthday.

 

    It was one of the first day’s Harry had let Rogue babysit while he and Logan were meeting with Professor Xavier discussing how Harry could help more around the school. They were about to break for lunch when a panicked Rogue and Warren burst into the office, and the winged boy had Teddy clutched to his chest. The three in the office didn’t get to ask what was wrong before Rogue threw herself at Harry, frantically saying she was sorry and that she made sure her skin never touched his.

 

    Harry reached out a hand and patten the girl on the back, his voice calmer than he felt at the moment, “Marie calm down and tell me what happened.”

 

    The young girl took a deep shuddering breath, looking at the floor by Harry’s feet and in a quiet voice started explaining what had her in a panic, “I was watching him play with a few of his toys and then he took a really deep breath and then just froze staring wide eyed at me. I reached out to touch him making sure I had my gloves on and then he breathed out and…. and…. and then he just looked like that!”

 

    When she finished she just put her face in her hands trying hard not to cry at the thought of her possibly hurting the sweet little boy and losing Harry’s trust. He was one of the few people who weren’t scared to be around her or hug her, and it was tearing her up that she may have lost that.

 

    Harry blinked at the distraught girl and looked back up at Warren, the winged boy was staring down at the boy in his arms with wide eyes. Seeing the look Harry slowly stood and patted Rogue gently on her covered shoulder, before walking over to the other teen holding his arms out. Wasting no time Warren quickly handed Teddy over to his godfather and took a step back to wait for the inevitable reaction.

 

    Shifting the tiny body in his arms Harry looked down at Teddy only for a huge smile to break out on his face, clutching the boy to his chest laughing merrily. The entire room looked at him in shock but he couldn’t care less, his beautiful little godson had taken after his mother as well.

 

    Smiling Harry went back to Rogue and grabbed her hand pulling her to her feet to look at Teddy as well. “Marie, nothing is wrong. I promise you love. Look at him now.”

 

    Slowly her eyes traveled back to look at the one year old and gasped when she saw Teddy now had blonde hair and blue eyes. Snapping her eyes back to Harry she gasped out a how, before looking back at Teddy just in time to see the little boy’s hair shift to black with a white streak running through it.

 

    Giggling at the looks he was getting from the other four in the room Harry bounced slightly and delightedly exclaimed, “He’s a metamorphmagus!”

 

    The other four looked at him in confusion and he snorted remembering that they were all muggles and didn’t understand what that meant. Still smiling he went to sit next to Logan on the couch in the room, shifting Teddy so he could sit on his lap and look out at all the people in the room.

 

    “A Metamorphmagus is a person who has the ability to change their appearance at will, without the need for any assistance. It’s extremely rare and you have to be born as one, there is no way to learn to become one.” Smiling softly Harry looked down at Teddy with a layer of sadness floating in his eyes, “His Mum, Tonks, was one and she used to entertain us all during dinners by shifting her hair color or changing her nose to different things. I believe the pig nose used to be her favorite.”

 

    As if sensing his godfather's distress Teddy turned in Harry’s lap to hug the man, his features shifting to mimic the raven’s and snuggled in deeply holding on tightly. “Dada...ok”

 

    Letting out a wet laugh Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Teddy returning the hug. “Yeah Cub, I’m ok. I’m always ok with you around.” He pressed a soft kiss to the boy’s forehead and laughed loudly when little hands reached up and grabbed his cheeks so Teddy could leave a wet smacking kiss on his own forehead.

 

    Not wanting the room to get awkward in his momentary lapse into the past, Harry shot up from the couch startling them all and turned to look over the room. “This calls for a celebration! Cake...cake is always needed to celebrate! Marie, Warren; come help me keep track of the hellion so I can bake without having to worry about sticky fingers stealing the chocolate.”

 

    With a small smile Rogue and Warren stood from the couch and followed Harry to the door, and jerked to a stop when the raven paused to look back toward the two professors left in the office.

 

    “Come along, it’s more fun with more people.” Not waiting to see if they listened Harry turned back and strode out of the office asking an excited Teddy what kind of cake he wanted; laughing loudly when the boy answered with an excited shout of, “Chocolate!”.

 

    Logan turned toward Charles when he heard the man chuckle, “Well Logan, it appears our presence has been requested as well.”

 

    Snorting the burly man stood, popping the joints in his back and shook his head, “Requested? No, that was a demand wrapped nicely in pretty paper.” With a small smirk Logan headed toward the door, “You know if we didn’t show up he’d just come back up here and drag us off.”

 

    Sniggering softly Charles wheeled out from behind his desk following the other man out of the office and down the hall, “Yes that is very true. He is very adamant about celebrating things together, making sure no one feels left out.”

 

    Rolling his eyes at the statement Logan kept walking down the hall. He understood why Harry always made sure to include everyone he could for holidays and other achievements. After growing up the way he did, he always did his best to make sure no one ever felt that way if he could help it. The emerald eyed teen even made sure to make at least a cake for every birthday for the students and staff, even going so far as to create a birthday for Logan.

 

    “Hurry up Chuck, if we get there quick enough we may get to steal some as he goes along.”

 

    Glancing at Logan from the corner of his eye Charles had to bite the inside of his cheek to not laugh at the eager smile on the Canadian's face. Once he felt he could talk without the tell tell sign of laughter he nodded his head, “Feel free to head on ahead, I’ll be there shortly.”

 

    This time Charles didn’t even try to hold back his laugh as Logan didn’t even glance at him before hurrying down the hall, deciding to just take the stairs instead of waiting even a second for the elevator.

 

    Shaking his head Xavier boarded the elevator sending out a message to the staff in the manor letting them all know that Harry was baking, and that it was indeed time for a celebration.

  
  


* * *

 

 

    Harry sighed as he gently laid Teddy in his bed and covered the two year old with the worn Captain America blanket he had received for his first birthday. Once he was sure the little boy was settled Harry leaned down to lay a kiss on Teddy’s forehead and flicked on the small night light beside the bed, before quietly padding out of the room. He smiled softly at Logan when he noticed the man leaning against the wall across from the door.

 

    “Brat asleep?”

 

    Green eyes rolled softly as he motioned for Logan to follow him back to his room right next to Teddy’s. Once back inside Harry sat at the head of his bed, resting against the pillows and watched as Logan came around to the other side to sit next to him. He tried not to focus on how close the man was or the subtle scent that reminded Harry of a forest and comfort. It was proving to be difficult with the older male so close, Harry could feel the heat from Logan’s body through his jeans where their thighs were touching.

 

    Harry lifted his eyes from where they were staring at a spot on the bed to Logan’s when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and pull him against a strong chest. He tried to fight the blush he felt rising up his neck, but he knew it was a lost cause when he felt Logan’s hand reach into his hair and grip it tightly holding him in place. His entire face flamed bright red when Logan leaned forward to rest his forehead against his own, those brown eyes locked intently on his own.

 

    “Tell me to stop now.” The guttural voice had Harry really looking at Logan, and shuddered at the heated look that was focused solely on him.  

 

    Harry licked his lips and felt the hand in his hair tighten as Logan’s eyes snapped down to stare at his lips. Taking a deep breath and just going with what felt right, Harry tilted his head slightly; giving Logan unlimited access to his lips.

 

    Logan released a small growl as he closed the distance between the two of them laying his lips on Harry’s softly. He gently moved his lips along the wizard’s and flicked his tongue along the seam, coaxing the young man to open his mouth.

 

    Harry let out a soft gasp, followed by a low moan when he felt Logan’s tongue meet his own, tasting the coffee the older man had been drinking after dinner. He reached his arms up to wrap around the thick neck and pull the wild man closer, feeling a shiver run down his spine at the animalistic rumble deep in the chest he was pressed against. Taking a chance and once again going with his instincts Harry shifted back slightly to take in a much needed breath and moved until he was straddling Logan.

 

    When he was once again firmly settled against Logan, Harry moved forward to latch onto the mouth before him keening softly when he felt large hands grip his waist tightly and pull him closer. Harry sucked in a deep breath when he pulled away from Logan only to groan lowly when a pair of lips found his neck, nipping and sucking lightly surely leaving a mark.

 

    A slow hiss, that sounded like some version of Logan’s name left Harry’s lips when he felt a slightly harder bite on his neck. Instinctively, Harry ground down lightly on the swiftly growing erection he felt underneath him. A slow smirk worked it’s way on his face at the tortured groan from Logan just to have it swept away as a growl burst from him and the hands on his hips tightened, giving the elder the leverage he needed to thrust up roughly against Harry.

 

    Another groan left Logan when he felt hands fist his hair, pulling him from the completely delicious neck in front of him so that Harry could kiss him again; like a dying man feasting on his last meal. Huffing faintly he shifted the body above him a little to get better friction when he rolled his hips again, smirking when Harry broke away again mewling softly at the feeling.

 

    The two worked together, grinding harshly against each other both trying to reach their own climax and make sure the other fell over with them. Harry’s breath came out in uneven and rasping gasps as he tightened his hands in Logan’s hair picking up his pace, rolling his hips harder against the man beneath him. Whispered pleas of ‘please...harder…..Logan…..’ were the only noises filling the quiet room.

 

    Harry pulled Logan closer giving one final thrust down before his orgasm hit him, a breathy shout of Logan’s name leaving his lips. He whimpered slightly when Logan kept his rhythm, causing his jeans to rub roughly against the sensitive head. He gripped the shoulders keeping him grounded, nails biting into skin. Biting his lip he rolled his hips crudely down against Logan, and when the man’s breathing became coarse he leaned forward slightly to bite down firmly on the thick neck in front of him.

 

    Logan came quietly with only a heavy sigh leaving his mouth, hand still clenched on lithe hips, and Harry knew he would have dark bruises for many days to come.

 

    Coming down slightly Harry rested fully against Logan, not wanting to move. A throaty chuckle pulled him from his thoughts as he looked down into amused brown eyes and he cocked his head slightly in question.

 

    Running his hands gently up and down slim hips Logan let a crooked smile grace his face not really wanting to move. “We should probably get up to get cleaned off.”

 

    Harry snorted and waved a hand between the two of them, laughing slightly at the wide eyed look he received. “Wizard, love.” He leaned forward slightly to press a soft kiss against smirking lips before adjusting to snuggle into the warmth surrounding him.

 

    Logan chuckled lightly before wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist keeping him pressed against his chest, “Yes well I’d rather not sleep in jeans, so hold on.” Before Harry could ask what he meant Logan shifted him more securely in his arms before moving to the edge of the bed to stand up.

 

    Harry gave a small squeak before wrapping his legs tightly around Logan’s waist not wanting to be dropped to the floor. He scowled up at the older man when he felt the chuckles deep in his chest. With narrowed eyes Harry let his legs finally drop to the floor and took a step back from Logan to slip his jeans and shirt off, leaving him in tight lime green boxer briefs. He tossed the others into the basket off to the left of the room.

 

    Crawling back into bed under the covers Harry turned to watch Logan slip out of his clothes and couldn’t help small flicker of heat that flared in his lower abdomen at the sight. Seeing the look in those emerald eyes Logan smirked darkly and prowled toward the bed, climbing in beside the smaller body. Leaning over Harry slightly Logan gripped the teens face and pulled him into a harsh, demanding kiss. Breaking away Logan laid down and pulled Harry to him whispering a soft goodnight which was echoed by a sleepy voice.  

 

    Snuggling in comfortably Harry raised a hand waving it at the light shrouding the room in darkness, before falling into a deep sleep, followed closely by Logan.

 

    The next morning the two were woken up by an excited two year old bouncing on the bed and a deeply blushing Rogue, who was covering her eyes tightly with her hands; apologies rushing from her mouth. Quicker than the two on the bed could follow she shot in and grabbed Teddy and pulled him from the room, slamming the door closed.

  
  


* * *

 

 

 

 

    It seemed that after the first initial encounter the two hardly slept alone anymore. Harry reveled in the closeness of another person around, after having been deprived of any sort of physical love. The two were slowly becoming more comfortable with each other in private, and would often be found sitting closely with Harry practically seated in Logan’s lap. Every once in a while Teddy would be wedged between the two babbling excitedly about whatever he had learned that day.

 

    At the moment the almost two year old Teddy was out with Jean who took it upon herself to teach the little boy his numbers and letters. It had taken the little boy a while to be comfortable with the woman but now he would smile brightly, his hair which was normally black like Harry’s, would flicker and shift into her bright red; happily calling out for his ‘Aunt Jean’.

 

    Her green eyes would soften as she crouched down to hug the little body that rushed at her, returning his bright smile with a smaller one of her own.

 

    While Teddy was away Logan and Harry were taking the time to relax in the raven’s room away from all the noise of the school. Logan had his back resting against the headboard with Harry settled in between his legs leaning back on his chest. Rough hands were wrapped around a small waist, rubbing the toned stomach and sides that were bare to him when Harry’s shirt had ridden up slightly. With each pass the hand would rise further, caressing a new spot and lifting the shirt higher.

 

    “If you wanted my shirt off, you really just had to say something.” Harry huffed out slightly breathless, turning his head slightly to look up at Logan. A small shiver ran down his spine at the husky laugh Logan released as he pushed Harry forward and reached down to grab the edge of his shirt pulling it swiftly over his head. Harry shifted around to straddle Logan and returned the favor, pulling the older man’s shirt off and tossing it to the floor.

 

    Harry bit his lip lightly and a small flush traveled up his neck as he thought about what he wanted to do next. Finally gathering his courage Harry shifted back on the thick legs under him until he was sitting on Logan’s knees and gathered his courage to raise a shaky hand toward the button on the man’s jeans. He startled slightly when a large hand grabbed his wrist and his eyes widened as he lifted them to look into Logan’s.

 

    “Are you sure? I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” Harry stared into Logan’s eyes seeing the truth in the man’s words. Smiling softly Harry shook his head and gently moved Logan’s hand from his wrist and continued on toward the man’s jeans.

 

    “I want to try, but I’ve never done anything like this. I’m just worried I’ll disappoint you.”

 

    Harry cocked his head to the side when he heard Logan snort and looked up at the man curiously.

 

    “I don’t think that will be a problem.” The leer Logan sent his way sent another shiver running down his spine and bolstered his courage to finally snap the button open on the man’s jeans. Feeling brave Harry leaned forward and caught the zipper between his teeth and slowly lowered it, relishing in the heavy breaths the action caused.

 

    Sitting back on his heels Harry reached for the waist of the pants tugging them slightly and smiled when Logan raised his hips enough for the pants to slide easily down his legs. Harry’s eyes darkened slightly when he noticed that Logan had gone commando for the day, leaving him bare for his inspection. Slowly a small hand reached for the half hard member resting thickly against Logan’s thigh.

 

    Harry ran his fingers teasingly up the muscled inner thigh, watching avidly as the muscles twitched under the pads of his fingers. He finally ran a single finger up the aching length tracing the vein that ran on the underside and tried not to let the deep warning growl affect him too much. He leaned down bringing his mouth closer to the subtly leaking tip and wrapped his fingers around the base of the shaft, tugging softly getting a groan from Logan.

 

    Green eyes peered up at brown from beneath thick lashes and stilled his tugging hand letting the other continue gently caressing the leg beneath it. He kept his hand still until he was sure Logan was completely focused on him then leaned forward the rest of the way to give a solid lick to the tip.

 

    Slowly Harry let his eyes close as he tasted Logan on his tongue, it wasn’t a pleasant taste but he could deal with the bitter flavor if Logan kept making those noises. A soft hiss left Harry’s mouth when he felt a large hand wrap itself in his hair, giving a harsh tug.

 

    “You’ll need to let go of my hair if you want me to continue.” Harry chuckled softly. When the hand in his hair loosened he moved back and slowly opened his mouth fully taking in the tip and giving a small testing suck gently. Hearing the sharp inhale from Logan gave Harry the courage to take more and more of the thick member deeper in his mouth.

 

    When he felt the tip brush the back of his throat Harry choked slightly and pulled back, hollowing his cheeks and sucking gently letting his tongue graze the thick vein along the shaft. He continued on in this manner, moving slowly down until he felt his gag reflex kick in then moving back, his hand moving in tight circular movements on the part he couldn’t fit in his mouth.

 

    Green eyes closed when Logan’s breaths started coming quicker and deeper, the hand in his hair clenching yet not disrupting his movements. It was a strange feeling, having this strong and obviously Alpha Male under him, groaning and breaking down just for him. Only him.

 

    Harry picked up his speed on the member in his mouth, wanting to see Logan fall apart again, and hummed in pleasure when the hand in his hair tugged harder.

 

    Logan let out a growl and shifted his hands to come and rest closer to the base of the raven’s skull, and he had to bite back a moan when emerald eyes looked up at him, flushed with lust and pleasure. He shifted his hips slightly forcing his cock further in that small mouth, the question obvious in his eyes.

 

    Realizing what Logan wanted Harry groaned loudly causing the hands in his hair to tighten again and his eyes lowered. In answer the green eyed man moved the hand stroking Logan and relaxed his throat, flattening his tongue giving the man full access to what he wanted.

 

    Logan groaned at the sight and wasted no time in thrusting shallowly into that sinful mouth at first and when it seemed that Harry was ok with the slightly rougher treatment, he picked up the pace forcing the raven further down on his cock. That little throat was squeezing just right and his eyes were just overflowing with lust and it was all focused on him.

 

    Brown eyes snapped open when Harry started humming in random patterns causing him to growl lowly, however it was the sight of the of the smaller man waving a hand over his own body vanishing his jeans and boxers that had him moaning deeply. He watched entranced as Harry’s hand moved to grip himself, stroking in tandem with the harsh thrusts of the dick in his mouth.

 

    It didn’t take long for Harry to find his release, spilling himself on the blanket below. The younger man kept up his humming and moved his hand back up to help stroke Logan to finish quickly.

 

    Green eyes stared into Logan’s and tightened his grip on the member in his hands, watching fascinated as brown eyes closed and teeth clenched. A harsh growl ripped its way out of Logan’s throat and he pulled out of Harry’s mouth, holding his head close still and with two more tugs he released himself on those perfect plump lips.

 

    Seeing the man kneeling between his legs with swollen cum stained lips Logan couldn’t help but pull him forward into a harsh kiss, not caring that he could taste himself. Harry mewled softly and submitted to Logan’s demanding mouth before pulling back with a slightly dazed look in his eyes. Breathing deeply Logan watched Harry to see if there was even a hint of regret on his face, but all his saw was a deeply sated look in his eyes.

 

    Harry opened his mouth to say something when the door slammed open, both heads snapped toward the door seeing a bright red Rogue with her jaw dropped. Harry watched as her eyes traveled along the bed taking in the fact they were both naked, before her eyes made it to his face and if it was possible her face burned brighter. Quickly squeaking out an apology she turned on her heel, slamming the door closed behind her.

 

   Wide green eyes blinked at the door for quite some time before turning back to Logan, and with a quiet husky voice said only one thing.

 

    “We really need to learn to lock that damn door…..”

 

    Raising an eyebrow Logan couldn’t help but laugh and pull the smaller body against his, tossing the soiled blanket on the floor and covering them with the sheet. He adjusted them until they were both comfortable against the pillow and smiled when Harry waved a hand cleaning the mess from their bodies. The two met in a lazy kiss, silently deciding to take a small nap; Harry wrapped tightly in Logan’s arms.

  
  


* * *

 

  


    Harry wandered the halls of the manor alone, Teddy was spending time with Rogue while Logan and the other X-Men were off saving the world from god knows what. Logan didn’t say anything beyond a quick ‘Gotta go, shit’s blowing up,' and yanking Harry close in an awkward hug and a surprisingly gentle pat on Teddy’s head, before leaving the room for who knows how long; and Harry didn’t ask. He just called out for Logan to be safe and sent up a prayer to whatever Gods or Goddess were listening for them all to come back ok.

 

    So now with nothing to do he took the time to walk the halls thinking back on the past 2 and a half years. He was forever grateful to the Professor for allowing him, a barely 17 year old ‘war veteran’ with a six month old baby, to come and live here with nothing asked of him. It was a new development for him, he was used to people asking for things when services were offered. However Professor Xavier and the others never asked. They offered sanctuary and comfort and never made him feel like a burden, in fact most of them actively sought him out just to talk, sit and read, or play with Teddy.

 

    Being so deep in thought Harry almost didn’t notice the small projectile headed toward him and barely managed to twist to the side causing the small object to graze across his cheek. Dropping into a slight crouch he turned to face his attacker and cocked his head to the side in confusion.

 

    It was one of the newer students who came to live at the manor within the last month. He looked hardly over 14 and had a chip the size of New York on his shoulder. He glared down at Harry like he was the reason for all his problems, which bewildered the raven haired Brit. He could honestly count on one hand the number of times he had spoken to the boy and didn’t remember ever being rude or offending him.

 

    “You think you’re so special, don’t you?!”

 

    The yell surprised Harry and his hand twitched, ready to fling a shield up if needed. Keeping his eyes firmly on the boy Harry stood a little straighter, shifting to his right slightly to keep his option of escape open. He could apparate if needed but he didn’t want to run the risk of blowing anything up.

 

    The kid, Bullet if he remembers correctly, reached in his pocket and pulled out a small stone holding it tightly in his hand. His face twisted in a small sneer as he stared at Harry.

 

    “So special…. Everyone loves you. But I know what you are; a freak.”

 

    Green eyes blinked and Harry was momentarily shocked at the venom that laced his voice. He was always amazed at how one word could throw him back to the past. He tried to hide the shaking in his hands, not wanting to let the kid know how deep that one word cut.

 

    “I don’t know how they can’t see what you did to Wolverine! He’s a real man, there is no way he’d be a fucking FAG!” Deep harsh breaths filled the hall as furious brown eyes stared into green. Harry watched as Bullet lifted his left hand the small stone resting in his palm, his right hand hovering over the stone and his finger cocked back ready to flick the stone forward.

 

    Green eyes narrowed as Harry thought about how to get out of this situation without letting the kid know exactly what he was. He really had no desire to hurt the boy he just wanted him gone. Harry opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut and dodged when the stone came flying at his head, embedding itself into the wall behind him.

 

    “If I get rid of you whatever spell you have on Wolverine and everyone else will disappear!”

 

    The next stone flew faster and Harry barely managed to twist his body to the side to avoid the pebble hitting him in the chest. Green eyes narrowed and a sneer that would make Snape proud stretched across his face.

 

    “I haven’t done anything to anyone and everything Logan and I do….He fucking loves it, begs for it.”

 

    If the situation had been different and less hostile Harry might have laughed at how quickly the kid turned red. He dodged another aimed at his head and raised his arm deciding to just put the kid to sleep when he felt something fly past his face from behind.

 

    Harry blinked when he saw the boys left arm pinned to the wall by a playing card imbedded in his shirt. Straightening out completely Harry turned his head to look over his shoulder ignoring the yells from Bullet, and saw a man walking down the hall; playing cards hovering slightly in his hand.

 

    Emerald eyes followed the new male until he came to stop right next to him, a small flush rushing up his cheeks when the stranger gave him a flirty wink before sending more cards at the pinned boy. The stranger took a few more steps closer, holding a card he pulled out from somewhere and narrowed his eyes.

 

    “Now now what do we have here?” Harry sucked in a deep breath at the rich tenor of the heavy Southern accent. It should be illegal to have a voice like that. “I know that you aint messing with this young man here, causing trouble in the halls of this lovely establishment?”

 

    Bullet struggled against the wall, trying to pull himself away, while screaming foul and rude things about Harry. The Brit mostly ignored the words being shot at him until he heard Teddy’s name mentioned and his eyes snapped angrily at the pinned child.

 

    “You are allowed to rant and scream at me all you want, I don’t care what a hateful, closed-minded child has to say to me; but you will NOT speak ill of my godchild.” Harry took a jerky step forward intending to make sure the little brat remembered this lesson. He stopped short when he felt an arm wrap around his waist. Harry raised his head and looked into red eyes, blinking in surprise at the casual touch. The stranger just smiled and pulled Harry closer before turning his attention back to the glaring brat against the wall.

 

    “It’s not nice to call people names now. You should also watch what you say and who you say it too. You never know who you might offend.” The last sentence was said with a low growl sending goosebumps running down Harry’s arms and caused Bullet to snap his mouth shut.

 

    “You can’t be serious! You’re a fucking pillow biter too?! There’s no way Gambit can be GAY!”

 

    The now named Gambit just laughed at the boy, and sent a lazy smirk at Harry. “I’m more of a free form kinda lover. Men or women it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s fun. It is the age of equal opportunities after all”.

 

    Green eyes rolled as Harry pulled himself from Gambit’s arm and took two steps away still glaring at the noisy brat. He opened his mouth to say something but the soft clack of heels and a quiet but forceful voice speaking up behind him made him snap his jaw closed.

 

    “What is going on here?”

 

    Harry turned to look at Storm and lowered his head, he opened his mouth again to say something but was blocked when a hand came and covered his lips. He glared at the man until he moved his hand from his lips with a cheeky grin on his face.

 

    “It’s nothing Cher. Just a bit of a misunderstanding of the **couyon** * kind.”

 

    Storm narrowed her eyes at Gambit before turning to Harry and spotting the scratch along his cheek. Eyes softening she reached out and touched his cheek, before sighing and looking back at Bullet.

 

   “Please let him up Gambit, I’ll take him to Professor Xavier.”

 

    The Cajun let out a heavy sigh and headed toward the now silent teen, plucking the cards out of the wall to release Bullet. The boy tried to dart away but didn’t make it far when Storm’s hand reached out and snatched the back of his collar. Before he could even start to fight in her grasp, she flashed him a look warning him not to press his luck and come quietly.

 

    The two males watched as she frog marched Bullet down the hall toward the Professor’s office with small grimaces of pain, both knowing how strong the slight woman was. Harry rubbed at his ear remembering the one time she had walked in on him and Logan in a rather intimate embrace and she had grabbed Harry by the ear yanking him off the older man and out of the room.

 

    Sighing softly Harry bit his lip and turned toward Gambit, “Thank you; for stepping in before it got out of hand.”

 

    Smiling at Harry he just waved it off before turning to walk back down the hall, “Think nothing of it. I just didn’t like how the little **capon** * was talkin to ya. Be careful mon cher, there are many who think you put a **gris-gris** *on Wolverine.” With a final wave over his shoulder Gambit turned down another hall disappearing from Harry’s sight.

 

    With a final shake of his head Harry started back towards his room not wanting to be alone in the halls anymore. Absently chewing on his thumbnail he thought about what was said, he knew he didn’t do anything to Logan or to anyone in the manor, but is that what others really thought? Maybe it was time to talk to Professor Xavier about finally trying to move out on his own with Teddy. The little boy was almost 3 and Harry had no plans to keep him locked up in the manor, and he knew that he would need to look into schools for him. He needed friends his own age and Harry himself needed to stretch a bit, he had been living off others for his entire life and was getting a little tired of it.

 

    With the thought settled deeply in his brain Harry reached his room and settled on his bed trying to find the best way to bring this up with Charles. Groaning he rested his head in his hands, forget telling Charles, how was he going to tell Logan. With a dramatic sigh he flopped onto his back deciding to just put it off until the X-Men were back and he had spoken to Charles.

  
  


* * *

 

  


    It was two months since Logan and the others had left on this last mission and Harry was worried the entire time. Even with the reassurance from Charles he still couldn’t help but worry for his friends. This time they even took Rogue and Bobby with them, saying it was needed for experience since it wasn’t supposed to be a difficult mission; just a simple information gather then back home.

 

    However that wasn’t the case, when they all arrived there was a small ambush waiting for the X-Men. Jean managed to send a quick message to Charles before there was radio silence and this continued for the last two months. It wasn’t just Harry that was worried anymore either, Teddy had taken to asking daily where Logan was and when no one could tell him he would cry and pout until Harry caved and tricked the three year old into drinking a small amount of dreamless sleep potion. He hated having to trick the little boy but nothing else was working and some nights he would cry hard enough to make himself sick.

 

    He still remembered the last time Logan had come back from a mission, tired and cranky from having to deal with Scott for longer than a week, only to hear about what had happened to Harry with Bullet. Logan had been pissed and had thoroughly checked him over to make sure he wasn’t hurt in any way other than the obvious. After making sure, Logan had roughly shoved Harry against the wall, lifting the smaller male off his feet and wrapping lithe legs around his waist thrusting harshly against him until Harry cried out in release and Logan was biting down on his neck grunting out his own. The next morning Logan made sure to walk Harry by Gambit where the Cajun could see the mark, silently telling the man to back off.

 

    Gambit had merely laughed and patted Logan on the shoulder with a loud ‘Congrats’ before walking off to pester Scott. Harry had rolled his eyes at the caveman motions before silently slipping off to go and discuss his plans with Charles.

 

    Xavier had been understanding and not at all surprised when Harry began talking. He had just wheeled himself closer and reached out to take Harry’s smaller hand in his own.

 

   “Do what you need to do to make yourself happy. That’s all we want for you.”

 

    The two had sat there and worked out a few different plans that would work for the raven, Harry wanted to make sure he had a few backups just in case something fell through. He also wanted to stay in New York, he had fallen in love with the state and as an added bonus he would be able to stay close to the Manor. Charles had smiled and told him he would look for a few places that would work and then Harry could decide for himself which one he wanted.

 

    The talk with Logan had gone better than he thought it would. The two had sat down after dropping off Teddy with Xavier so the older man could spend a little time with him and Harry had laid out the plans he had decided on. Logan just looked at him for a moment then smiled slightly, merely a tilt of his lips before pulling Harry close resting their foreheads together and said ‘ok’. When Harry asked about the simple answer Logan just shrugged and in a gruff voice told him he understood.

 

    “I’m not the keeping type. I don’t do ‘relationships’ and I get that you need space to live. We’re friends that share just a bit more. You and Teddy are family and I would never deny you something that would make you happy. It’s not like I’ll never see you two again...so yeah, just ‘ok”.

 

    Harry had laughed and pulled the man into a fiery kiss in thanks and then proceeded to show Logan just how thankful he was for his understanding, and if anyone knew why Harry’s lips were bright red and swollen they kept it to themselves.

 

    Teddy had been slightly more difficult, when Harry sat him down to tell him the little boy had thrown a tantrum to end all tantrums. Screaming and crying that he didn’t want to leave everyone and it had taken Harry, Logan, Charles and Storm an hour of promising that it wasn’t really goodbye, that they could come visit whenever they wanted. After a few more tears Teddy had curled up on Logan’s lap holding the man’s hand tightly as if he might disappear right away. That night he slept between Logan and Harry clutching at both of them throughout the night.

 

    Now three months later Harry was pacing the floor in his room waiting for any sign that the others were ok. Teddy had been put to sleep thirty minutes before after another fit demanding to know when Logan and Rogue would be back. Harry had finally given up and snuck in some potion in the water he had given Teddy, thanking everything that it worked quickly and soon the little boy was deep asleep.

 

    However now Harry had nothing to distract him from the worry that was eating away at his mind. An hour after Teddy had fallen asleep Harry hear a noise that made his head snap toward the door, he had to smile at the unmistakable sound of the X-Men’s jet landing on the property.

 

    Rushing out the door and down the hall Harry met up with Charles as the elder man was making his way toward the landing pad. Motioning for Harry to follow Charles opened the door and entered the room looking over each member as they stepped from the jet, they all looked tired and worn out; small bruises and cuts littering their bodies. The bald man waited for Jean to come to him before asking what happened.

 

    “It was a rogue group, ones we haven’t met before. They were waiting for us when we landed, if it wasn’t for Logan’s nose we would have been hit completely unaware. He smelled the trouble and went out first, I had just enough time to send that message before the jet was swarmed.” Harry could tell she was exhausted and went to grab her a chair before walking over to check on the others.

 

    Seeing that Logan was fine he headed straight to Rogue to check on her. He stopped next to her and lifted her gloved hand, holding it tightly as he let his magic flair out slightly assessing the damage and healing what he could. Once he was sure she was ok he moved to Bobby repeating the process, then on to the next member until they all looked a little better. As he took a step back from Hank, Harry felt his legs give out. He was caught around the waist before he could hit the ground and pulled back into a strong chest.

 

    “Easy kid, don’t kill yourself trying to help everyone.” Harry smiled at the gruff voice behind him and relaxed his full weight on Logan.

 

    Hank smiled at the interaction between the two and ruffled Harry’s hair in thanks before walking over to help Jean explain to Charles what happened.

 

    Huffing slightly Harry mock glared at Hank before turning back to Rogue and Logan asking what happened.

 

    “They got the jump on us. Someone found out we were headed out that way to look around and just waited.” Logan sounded tired, his voice coming out more harshly than normal. Running his free hand through his hair he tightened his other around Harry’s waist.

 

    Rogue groaned and plopped on the ground leaning back slightly so she could look at Harry, her voice lower and her accent slightly more pronounced.

 

    “We got separated when they attacked and it took too long to get rid of them and get back together. We had about a week of peace before even more showed up and they took Jean.”

 

    Harry’s eyes widened and his head snapped toward the red head before he turned back to Rogue when she continued on in that same soft slightly lost voice.

 

    “We got her back, but it took almost a month of searching for her and then we had to recover and fix the ship. We left as soon as we could and headed straight back here, now I just want to sleep for the next week.”

 

    Snorting softly Harry reached down and tugged on a lock of hair before making shooing motions with his hand, “Go rest, there isn’t much for you to do here and take Bobby with you.”

 

    Looking over at Professor Xavier she noticed him glance towards them giving a small nod in agreement with Harry’s statement. Not wanting to argue she slowly hefted herself from the floor and grabbed Bobby’s arm before dragging him out of the room. When they were out of the room Harry sighed and rested his head on Logan’s chest inhaling the wild scent, thanking everything that they were all back and safe. He grumbled slightly when Logan shifted him again forcing him to walk to where the others were talking, and stayed leaning against him. He finally felt his body relax for the first time in almost two months and his eyes slowly closed before slumping in Logan’s arms fast asleep.

 

    Logan grunted when he felt Harry sag in his arms and tightened his arm instinctively glancing down at the small body in his arm. Seeing his eyes closed and the deep even breaths Logan snorted in laughter, shifting to lift the small man in his arms. He turned to look at Charles when he heard the man’s small chuckle and raised an eyebrow in question.

 

    Shaking his head and looking fondly at the small Brit Charles answered Logan’s silent question, “He hasn’t been sleeping well. I hardly think he’s slept through the night for the past month.” Heaving a sigh Charles turned back to the others, “He was worried about you all and then having to deal with Teddy as well.”

 

    Logan had been staring down at Harry while Charles spoke however hearing the last bit he snapped to attention. “What about Teddy?”

 

    Sighing Charles rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, “After a month he started asking for you and wouldn’t just accept it when Harry told him you were out and not back yet. He would cry for you and Harry had to start slipping him a sleep aid to get him to calm down and sleep through the night. He missed you.”

 

    Logan blinked in surprise before turning on his heel walking back into the manor toward Harry’s room. Reaching it Logan kicked the door open and gently laid Harry on the bed, pulling his shoes and jeans off and tossing the blanket over him. He ran a hand through messy black hair with a soft look in his eyes before turning and heading back out of the room toward Teddy’s room. Cracking the door open he looked at the small boy in the bed and couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for the dried tear tracks on chubby cheeks. Shaking his head he crept into the room and gently picked up the three year old before heading back into Harry’s room.

 

    Logan carefully settled Teddy next to Harry and watched as the little boy instantly turned into his godfathers embrace snuggling in tightly. He quickly pulled his boots off and stripped out of the uniform carelessly tossing it on the floor. Pulling back the covers he slid in behind Teddy and smiled when both Teddy and Harry shifted slightly to reach out for him. Teddy had rolled over his back to Harry’s chest and fisted a small hand in Logan’s undershirt and Harry flung an arm over the small body between them to rest his hand on Logan’s waist. Pulling them closer Logan let out a deep breath, closing his eyes drifting into the first peaceful sleep in two months.

  
  


* * *

 

  


    Harry smiled as he left Charles’ office with the papers for his new home in New York City. Charles had found a lower level penthouse in the middle of the city that Harry had loved and they would be moving in a couple months after Harry’s 21st birthday. He was both sad and excited at the prospect of being out on his own in such a large city, but he was determined to make a life for himself and Teddy. Being in the middle of such a large city would be a good start on that, it would give them both ample opportunities to make friends and build something that was theirs.

 

    He had also asked (...erm...begged) Jean to teach him how to drive, knowing that he would at least need the knowledge if he wanted to live on his own. She had agreed easily enough and the two would spend a few hours on the weekend going over everything he would need to know to pass the test. He was quite happy that he was able to pick up the skill quickly enough with only some minor issues on parallel parking, and he was able to pass his test with no problem.

 

    Glancing at his watch he was surprised to see how late it was, he didn’t expect his meeting with Charles to run that late. Deciding to grab a quick bite to eat before retiring to bed Harry stopped by the kitchen and was startled to see Logan perched on a bar stool with a beer in his hand. Smiling softly Harry walked up behind him and draped his arms around the broad shoulders, resting his chin on the crown of Logan’s head.

 

    The elder man just ignored Harry and reached for the papers still clutched in his hands reading over the lease and other information written out. He leaned back into the body behind him taking another swig from the bottle in his hands, then holding it up to Harry letting him take a drink. He watched as Harry handed him the bottle back before heading to the fridge pulling out things to make a sandwich. Logan downed his beer before walking to Harry, pulling him close.

 

    “Take your time and eat. The kid’s down for the night and then we can relax.”

 

    Green eyes looked up at Logan at the odd note in the man’s voice. It had gone lower and Harry felt a shiver run down his spine at the look in those deep brown eyes. He couldn’t seem to voice his response so he merely nodded, showing he understood. Logan turned and tossed his the empty bottle in the trash before heading out of the kitchen and straight to Harry’s room.

 

    Harry watched him leave the kitchen with a confused tilt of his head, something was different about Logan and it sent a shiver down his spine. The dark look in his eyes worried Harry slightly and it sent his mind down a distressed path. He kept thinking over everything that had happened the past few days wondering if he had done anything to upset the elder man. He absentmindedly ate, not tasting the food as he continued to wrack his brain for any clue that would have caused Logan to be angry at him.

 

    Finishing his food Harry stood and cleaned the dishes trying to prolong the time before heading to bed and seeing Logan. He was so deep in his own mind that he didn’t notice Logan come back into the kitchen wearing only a pair of cotton sleep pants. The elder man watched as Harry stood at the sink, a half washed plate held in his hands and green eyes fixed on the wall in front of him. Brown eyes rolled as strode forward and yanked the plate from Harry’s loose grip, tossing it in the sink, before wrapping an arm around the smaller man’s waist and tossing him over a broad shoulder.

 

    Harry yelped as he felt his feet leave the ground tried to twist his body to see Logan’s face, only to stop and let out a small squeak as a heavy hand landed hard on his ass. Emerald eyes closed as hands came to cover the blush he knew was blooming across his cheeks.

 

    “Logan! What are you doing?”

 

    When he received no answer he wiggled on Logan’s shoulder asking to be put down, another squeak passing his lips as Logan growled softly and brought his hand down again hard on Harry’s ass. His annoyed huff broke into a breathy moan as Logan’s hand began massaging the abused flesh. Finally giving in Harry rested passively against Logan as the man carried him back to his room.

 

    Logan wasted no time entering the room and making sure to lock the door behind him. There was no way he was going to let anyone interrupt what was going to happen tonight. Stepping away from the door Logan tossed Harry onto the bed and watched as the smaller male bounced slightly on the mattress, staring up at him with heated green eyes and lush red lips parted slightly trying to control his breathing. Logan stayed standing at the end of the bed, looking down at the beautiful creature laid out on the bed.

 

    “Strip...slowly.” Harry’s head snapped up at the guttural voice and couldn’t help but moan at the dark look in Logan’s eyes. Green eyes stayed locked onto intense brown as Harry moved to his knees, reaching to grasp the bottom of his shirt he lifted it over his head and tossed it on the floor. Harry fought to keep his eyes locked with Logan’s and not give into the blush that was fighting it’s way up his neck as his hands slowly reached for the button on his jeans.

 

    Logan’s intense stare never left his body and Harry felt a shiver run up his spine at the dark promises he could see flickering in the wild man’s eyes. Lowering the zipper Harry started to slide the jeans off, with shaking hands. Harry let out a small startled yip when he was shoved back on the bed bouncing lightly, he opened his mouth to grumble at Logan only to snap his jaw closed at the heated look he was kept under.

 

    Logan reached out to grab waist of Harry’s jeans before roughly ripping them off the slender legs. He quickly removed his own clothes before climbing on the bed and hovering over Harry’s body. He slowly lowered until he could kiss those soft lips groaning softly at the sweet taste of the boy beneath him.

 

    Harry let a small whimper escape his lips before groaning loudly when Logan thrust his hips down grinding their arousals together. The raven shifted his hips slightly to allow Logan to rest comfortably in the cradle between his thighs and lifted his arms to wrap around Logan’s shoulders. He lightly bit Logan’s bottom lip and thrust his hips up shivering at the rough growl the burst from the chest above him. Thin arms tightened as he tried to pull Logan back into the kiss, only for him to whine sadly when the lips he wanted were pulled out of reach.

 

    “Open your eyes Harry, I need you to look at me.” Green eyes flickered open and he cocked his head slightly in question at the request. Catching the look in Logan’s eyes Harry felt another shiver run up his spine and he fought to keep his eyes open.

 

    Harry made a confused noise when Logan raised his hand and held it up to him. Green eyes narrowed when he heard Logan snicker softly, “I need you to slick my fingers, I’m not doing this dry and saliva doesn’t work well enough.”

 

    Harry blinked slowly at Logan before his face colored with a bright blush, nodding shyly Harry reached out to Logan’s fingers and with a whispered spell quickly slicked up his fingers. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched Logan shift slightly to reach down between Harry’s legs. At the first touch of the cool lube against his entrance Harry jumped slightly, tensing up against the intrusion.

 

    Feeling Harry tense Logan shifted slightly again removing the arms around his neck and sitting back on his heels, making sure to keep Harry spread open with the lithe legs draped over muscular thighs. He ran his free hand slowly down Harry’s chest letting soothing rumbles echo from his chest trying to calm the slight boy laid out before him. Seeing the tightness slowly start to fade Logan rubbed the lube along the puckered skin putting pressure but never breaching the tight ring of muscles.

 

    Harry stared up into warm brown eyes and smiled softly at the concern shining through, taking a deep breath he focused on relaxing into Logan’s touch knowing that the larger man would never hurt him and would stop everything if Harry wished it. Harry kept his eyes locked onto Logan’s and bit out a quiet whimper when he felt the rough hand reach his cock stroking slowly helping the tension flow out.

 

    When Logan felt Harry relax he slowly slipped a slick finger in gently brushing against his velvety inner walls. Keeping his pace slow he began working his finger in and out, spreading the lube around making sure not to hurt the small body below him. Keeping an ear out for the soft noises Harry was making he slowly added another finger pausing when a small whine of pain slipped past those lush lips. He made sure to keep stroking Harry’s weeping erection waiting for the muscles to relax.

 

    Harry lifted his arms above his head grabbing the headboard tightly in his hands and gave a small nod to Logan. A small grunt left his lips when both fingers were fully pressed in the virgin opening. Slowly the wild man began sliding his fingers back out again, separating his fingers to stretch Harry out. When he felt loose enough a third finger was added and small mewling noises were flowing from Harry’s pouty lips.

 

    The touches from that rough hand were slowly bringing Harry closer and closer to the peak. He started gently rolling his hips every time Logan’s fingers pressed back into him. Harry was slowly getting used to the full feeling in his ass when he felt the pads of Logan’s brush against something that made him suck in a harsh breath and arch his back. Breathing heavy he opened his eyes after clenching them to see Logan smirking at him. Harry opened his mouth to either ask what that was or demand he do it again, he wasn’t quite sure which. However, before he could do more than whisper Logan’s name in a heavy breathy voice he felt fingers run over that spot again forcing a loud keening whine to leave his mouth.

 

    Logan smiled at the lost look on Harry’s face and the quiet husky begs and moans the raven didn’t realize he was making. Shifting back slightly he slipped in a fourth finger in, chuckling darkly at the loud moan the action caused, and moved the hand that was still slowly stroking Harry’s cock to rest on the smaller male’s lower abdomen. Moving quickly before Harry could do more than just whine at the loss of the friction, Logan lowered his head and took the hard cock in his mouth suckling softly.

 

    Harry could do nothing more than clench the headboard and try to thrust his hips forward, whimpering when the move was restricted by the heavy hand on his abs. Sucking his bottom lip into his mouth, he bit down when the mouth wrapped around him began humming, cheeks hollowing and the fingers deep inside him pressed firmly against his prostate. It took only one more brush against that sensitive bundle of nerves before he brokenly whispered Logan’s name, giving the man a small warning before he felt his orgasm ripped from him.

 

    Logan made sure to swallow the entire load before slowly pulling his mouth from the sensitive flesh and gently removed his fingers one at a time to keep any discomfort to a minimal. Crawling back up the lithe body Logan made sure to nip and nuzzle the skin on the way until he reached the slightly red and swollen lips, dropping a gentle kiss then diving back in forcing Harry’s mouth open to kiss him harder. Backing off slightly Logan held his hand up to Harry again and with no other prompting the raven took the hand spelling lube on the fingers. Sending a dirty smirk at the male under him Logan reached down to slick himself before lining up with the stretched but still tight opening.

 

    Harry watched with heavy eyes as Logan lined himself up and right before he thrust in he sent one final look at Harry, the question flashing in his eyes. Smiling softly Harry unlatched his hands from the headboard and wrapped them tightly around Logan’s neck, pulling up slightly so his lips brushed the outer shell of the man’s ear.

 

    “Please Logan, take me, stretch me, use me, fill me. Make me feel it tomorrow.”

 

    Groaning loudly Logan kissed Harry deeply and was just about to slide into the welcoming heat of the body under him when the door swung open.

 

    Harry’s head snapped toward the door when he heard a small shout followed by a loud thump. His eyes widened when he noticed Scott doubled over a hand over his forehead where he had apparently run into the door frame after turning quickly to get out of the room. Green eyes were staring shocked not moving until he heard a loud growling coming from deep in Logan’s chest and the feral glint in those brown eyes. Thinking quickly Harry summoned the blanket and tossed it over them, keeping an arm tight around Logan’s neck.

 

    “Was there something you needed Scott?”

 

    Groaning softly Scott stood but kept his back to the two on the bed, trying to block the last couple minutes out of his mind. Nodding quickly and doing his best to ignore the still growling Wolverine he held up the small master key, “The Professor sent me here to get you because there is an owl in his office with a letter for you. It won’t let anyone close to take the letter though.”

 

    Harry froze, his mind snapping through different scenarios on how they found him and who knew before blinking when he heard Scott’s next sentence.

 

    “I was able to see a little symbol on it. I think it was a moon with a ‘L’ in the middle of it.”

 

    Smiling slightly he quickly wrapped his other arm around Logan’s neck, “Thank you Scott. I’ll be down there in a few.” Harry snickered slightly when Scott only nodded before moving quickly out of the room and just before the door clicked shut the two on the bed could hear the whispered, “Now I see why Jean said to calm my shit.”

 

    Huffing Logan looked down at Harry and kissed him one last time before moving off the bed looking for his clothes. He had just located his jeans when small hands grabbed his wrist and turned him around. Cocking his head slightly he watched as Harry smiled at him before dropping to his knees and spelling away the lube still coating his cock.

 

    “That letter will not be going anywhere just yet. Did you really think I would make you leave here like that?”

 

    Before anything else could be said Harry wrapped his lips around Logan sucking down, bringing him to a quick finish.

 

    “There, now we can go.” Logan snorted and dressed quickly and followed a clothed Harry up to Charles’ office smirking darkly at the slightly green tint to Scott’s face and the blush that bloomed on Harry.

 

    Stepping close to the owl Harry removed the letter and watched as the bird flew out the window, “Guess it doesn’t need an answer.”

 

    Sitting down on one of the couches Harry slowly ran spell after spell and test after test on the roll of parchment before opening it, reading the short missive with a raised eyebrow.

 

  _Harry,_

_Beware the beaver, she knows you broke through the dam and will do anything to bring you back. Ward your den well and tell no one where you are. Give the cub love from us all. Be safe Raven._

_Luna_

_PS: The way to quiet the loud Iron Beast of red and gold is with blueberries. Keep some at all times._

_-The zoo there is lovely. I’m sure Teddy will enjoy watching the peacocks dance._

_-Some things must wait. If you give it all away now, what is left for others._

  


    Harry sighed softly at the letter handing it over to Charles when the man looked at it. He waited quietly while Logan moved to read it as well. When the note was handed back to him he quickly read it again before snorting quietly. When the others in the room just looked at him he shook his head and let a fond smile cross his face.

 

    “Luna Lovegood, she’s one of my friends back home. More like a little sister than anything, so I got used to her unique way of speaking and writing.” Running a gentle hand over the ink she focused back on the three men, “I think she’s part seer, but she always denies it. She says she just knows things 'cause she listens to the whispers no one else can hear. She’s never steered me wrong yet so if she felt it important enough to warn me I’m gonna listen to her. ”

 

    Chuckling softly before focusing on the letter again Charles pointed to the first line, “Who is she warning you of?”

 

    Frowning softly he clenched his fist, and let out a slow breath. “Hermione Granger, she used to be my best friend, or at least I thought she was. She’s the one who was spreading rumors that I was going dark and needed to be contained before Voldemort’s power took over.” Narrowing his eyes he stared at a spot on the wall over Charles’ shoulder, “She knows I’ve left England, maybe even that I’ve left Europe altogether.”

 

    Heaving a heavy sigh Harry stood and headed for the door, “I need to pack and get us moved safely. Please excuse me.” They all watched as the young man closed the door behind him.

 

    Charles blinked when Logan stood and headed for the door following the teen back to his room. He looked to Scott when the man let out a distressed whimper and raised an eyebrow at the tint of green coloring the man’s skin. “Are you ok Scott, you look as if you’ve seen something unpleasant?” His eyes widened when Scott dropped to his knees in front Charles and grabbed the elder man’s hand. “If I ask, can you erase a memory from my mind? Something I really do not want flashing by my thoughts every time I see either of them.” Charles leaned back in his chair at the eager question and gently grazed his mind trying to see what could cause this kind of reaction from the normally stoic man. When he found the memory, he felt his cheeks heat slightly and chuckled softly shaking his head.

 

    “I am sorry Scott but somethings must be remembered to learn from mistakes, that includes just unlocking a locked door and walking in.” He couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up at the wail of despair from behind him as he headed down to the kitchen to see if any of the cookies Harry made this morning had survived the day.

  


* * *

 

 

    Harry looked around the room that had been his for the last 3 years in sadness, it was cluttered with boxes packed full for their move. He had already packed Teddy’s while the little boy was being kept occupied by Rogue, he didn’t think he could have done it with Teddy in the room. Ever since Harry had told him they would be moving the three year old would randomly sniffle trying to hold in his tears. This was the only home Teddy could remember and it was breaking Harry’s heart to see how upset his little boy was, but he knew it needed to be done. Harry still remembered the day he landed in the gardens at the manor, weighed down with three bags and a 6 month old strapped to his chest fussing slightly at the long portkey ride. Harry let out a sigh as he folded up more of his clothes and packed them away. *I’m really going to miss it here*

 

    He snapped out of his daydream when the door slammed open and the room was filled with manic giggles. Peeking over the box Harry spotted a 3 year old Teddy with bright orange hair giggling from the floor, only to frown when he noticed that Teddy’s hair color shifted from the vibrant orange to a dull lifeless blue as the little boy looked at the boxes. Sniffling slightly Teddy gazed at Harry with sad amber eyes, “Do we really have to leave?” Sighing slightly Harry abandoned his packing and went to scoop Teddy up, holding the little boy close to his chest. “I’m sorry my sweet cub, but yes, we need to move out.” When the little body in his arms starting shaking with quiet whimpers Harry sat down right where he was, and cuddled the child closer.

 

    “Just because we are leaving, doesn’t mean that we won’t ever see them again.” Teddy sniffed and stared up into Harry’s emerald eyes full of that childlike hope that made Harry’s heart clench. “I promise you Teddy, we’ll come visit when we can. And if you want you can call and talk to Logan and Rogue whenever you want.” Gracing Harry with a beaming smile Teddy lept up and wrapped his arms tightly around his godfathers neck. “Promise, I can talk to them when I want?”    

 

    Laughing Harry stood from the ground carrying Teddy out of the room, “I promise, now let's go talk to Logan and all the others and you can get them to promise again as well.” Teddy let out a happy yell and kissed Harry on the cheek, babbling a mile away and Harry smiled when he saw the hair shift from a sad blue back to the bright orange.

 

    As the two walked through the halls Teddy yelled out greetings and farewells to the students and teachers they passed on their walk. Stopping outside of Professor Xavier’s office Harry raised a hand and knocked on the wooden door and waited for the soft call of welcome before they stepped inside. “Hello Professor, Teddy has a question he would like to ask.” Charles put down the paper he had been reading over and focused all his attention on the shy boy in Harry’s arms. “What is it you would like to ask Theodore?” Squirming out of Harry’s arms Teddy ran up to Charles and climbed up into his lap clutching at the jacket of his suit. “Um...I was wondering, well I mean I want to ask if I can call and maybe visit after we move?”

 

    Charles smiled down at the fidgety child and pulled him closer running a gentle hand through his hair, “Yes Teddy, you may call and visit whenever you like.” Teddy’s eyes beamed up at the professor and swung his arms around Charles’ neck, “Promise?” Laughing slightly Charles wrapped his arms tightly around him hugging him closely, “I promise young one. I promise.” Beaming Teddy laid a wet kiss on the Professor’s cheek then hopped off and ran back to Harry. “He promised!” Laughing Harry scooped up the excited boy and held him closely, “I heard Cub, why don’t we go find Logan and the others and you can extort promises from them as well.”  Teddy laughed and started begging Harry to hurry and find the others, and Charles laughed at the two and shook his head at the echoed “Yes Master, I live to do as you please.”

 

    The two traveled the halls looking for their wild Wolverine and finally spotted him coming in from outside looking thoroughly annoyed. “Uncle Logan!” Harry smirked slightly when he saw Logan’s face change from anger and annoyance to a happier one as he held his arms out for Teddy. Harry bent and let the wriggling boy down and laughed as he watched Teddy run down the hall and vault into Logan’s arms. “Hey Cub, how’s packing?” Brown eyes blinked when the orange hair shifted into a dull blue again, and Logan raised his eyes to Harry in question.

 

    Shaking his head Harry stepped closer to the two and laid a soft hand on the three year old’s back, “Teddy didn’t you have something to ask Logan?” Sniffing Teddy raised his head staring deeply into Logan’s eyes, “You won’t forget me when I leave will you?” Logan’s eyes widened and he looked shocked to Harry, who merely shrugged and mouthed, “He’s three, what do you expect?”

 

    Logan shook his head and kneeled down in the hall and pulled Teddy away from him and set him on the ground staring into innocent amber eyes, “Listen to me Pup, I will never forget you. It’s hard to forget someone who has wheedled their way into my heart.” Misty amber eyes stared at Logan and a huge smile broke across the three year old face, hair shifting to bright orange again. Smiling at the happy boy Logan pulled him close again and stood cocking the child on his hip, “I promise you Teddy, we’ll see each other again. You can call anytime you like or pop in for a visit. Ok?”

 

    Harry watched with a small smile as the two hugged in the hall and not for the first time wondered if he was doing the right thing. Was it really ok to take him away from the people he had grown close to over these three years? Sighing quietly Harry placed a hand on Logan’s arm and when the wild man looked up at him Harry held his arms out, “We have more people to see and I don’t want to keep you.” Logan scoffed and held the small body closer, “I’ll follow. I have nothing else to do.” Giving Logan a knowing smile Harry nodded and led them away to visit everyone else.

 

   

 

    Carrying the small boy back to the room was easy after he had worn himself out seeing everyone and was now sleeping softly against Logan’s shoulder. Making it back to the room Logan laid Teddy in his bed letting the little boy sleep while he helped Harry pack up. “Why don’t you just wave a hand and have it all boxed up?” Harry shot a small glare at Logan, “Because I want to do it this way, there are so many memories here that I just can’t shove it all in a box without looking at it all. I just seems disrespectful to all the things you and the others have given me, given us.” Logan stared hard at Harry until the emerald eyed male began to fidget.  Heaving a heavy sigh he stood and walked to stand in front of Harry and pulled him into a fierce hug. “You’re not saying goodbye are you?”

 

    Harry let out a strained laugh, “No Logan, I’m not. I’m just sad to go and I was having a weak moment.” Thin arms tightened around a thick waist and Harry burrowed further into Logan. The raven let out a small breath as fingers began running through his hair, “Look kid, I’m going to tell you the same thing I told the cub; call whenever you need or pop in like I know you can.” Harry nodded into his chest and snuggled closer, relishing in the contact from the other male. “I know that. I do, but it’s not the same. Here if I have a nightmare I know that there is someone to look after Teddy. Here I know that if I need to vent I can just go down the hall to you.”

 

    Logan sighed and pulled Harry to the bed and forced him on to his lap when he sat, “Look, if you have a nightmare, pack up Teddy and come back here for the night.” He adjusted Harry on his lap and made sure to look directly into emerald eyes, “I will never turn you away Harry. Never.” Not bothering to reply Harry just wrapped his arms around Logan’s neck and held on. Logan just held him close giving him time to come back to himself as he ran his hands up and down Harry’s back.

 

    The Wolverine furrowed his brow thinking back over the past three years and about the teen turned man in his lap. He never expected to actually like Harry, let alone create a somewhat deep bond with him and Teddy. If he was honest with himself he knew he didn’t want them to leave, but he understood the need to move on and be on your own for a while.

 

    “Dad, Uncle Logan? Is everything ok?” Harry jerked in surprise and turned to look at Teddy, smiling softly at him. Logan snorted and opened one arm and chuckled when the little boy rocketed in between the two snuggling down. Harry laughed slightly and ran his fingers through bright orange hair, “Everything is fine cub, I just wanted a hug and Logan is lazy and needed to sit down.” Teddy burst out laughing when Logan scoffed loudly and he wriggled his fingers along Harry’s sides sending the male into fits of giggles. Deciding to help, Teddy launched an attack, wrapping his tiny arms around Harry’s neck forcing him on his back, “I got him Uncle Logan, ATTACK!”

 

    Harry sputtered at the yell and glance over when he heard a deep chuckle and amused brown eyes, “You heard him. I can’t let this prime opportunity pass me by.” Eyes wide Harry opened his mouth to try to respond, except all that came out was a high squeal and non stop giggles as Logan’s fingers worked over his sides. His giggles turned to full out laughter when Teddy joined and tiny fingers being wiggling along with Logan’s.

 

    “Am I interrupting?” Logan jumped away from Harry and glared at the figure in the door, who was just standing there smirking. Harry sighed and flung his arms around a squirming Teddy. “No Scott, you are my savior.” Sitting up with Teddy still in his arms Harry glared at Logan who sent him a wicked smirk before morphing his face into a blank mask as his eyes focused on Scott. Said man only smiled widely at the fuming male trying to agitate the Wolverine. Groaning Harry mock cried into Teddy’s hair as the little boy giggled in his lap watching two of his favorite people interact.

 

    Harry flicked his eyes back and forth between the two before he gave a dramatic sigh and rested his cheek against the top of Teddy’s head. “Look boys if you feel the need to measure, or turn this into a pissing contest; please take it elsewhere. The cub is still innocent and I would like to keep him that way.” Both Englishmen burst into laughter at the shocked angry looks and sputtering coming from both men, and Harry laughed harder when Teddy yelled out “Pensive! Pensive! That’s a keeper!”

 

    Logan looked at Teddy in mock betrayal, “You would do that to me kid? And here I thought you were on my side?” Teddy snapped his head to Logan and let out a loud gasp, and started wiggling out of Harry’s grasp rushing to his second favorite person. “I am on your side, it’s just that Scott’s face was funny looking so that's what needed to be saved.” Little hands were smacked gently against Logan’s cheeks and wide amber eyes peered earnestly into amused brown eyes, begging the Wolverine to believe him. Watching from the bed Harry snorted at the two of them, then turned to Scott leaving Logan to amuse Teddy while he spoke to Scott.

 

    “What’s the matter?” Hearing the small voice Scott turned toward Harry and give him a large smile. “Nothing’s wrong, I came by to see if you needed help or if you even wanted any.” Harry blinked then gave the stoic man a large smile, “Yes I would like some, that is if you can get along with Logan.” Scott’s hands flew up in surrender and cast a quick glance at Logan, who was staring back at him while holding Teddy, and he gave Harry a small smile nodding his head, “Yeah I can behave.”

 

    Giving a grateful smile Harry cast his eyes toward Logan and smirked when a pained look came over his face and he forced a nod. Giving a whispered ‘Thank You’ to them both Harry clapped his hands together forcing all the attention on him, “Ok let’s get this over with...Logan on that side, Scott the other. Don’t cross the middle line, only Teddy and I can do that.” Both men gave a smart ass salute and shouted “Yes Sir”, making Harry frown at both cheeky grins. He turned his back on them and broke into a huge grin at the twin yelps of pain from the older men. “Didn’t I tell you once before Logan, ‘I don’t have to touch you to cause pain.” Laughing outright at the shocked noise from the wild man, Harry cast a saucy wink over his shoulder and moved to start packing some of his books into boxes.

 

    Not bothering to look and check on the others Harry focused on the shelves in front of him running a sad hand over the spines. Squaring his shoulders he started taking the books and other items off the shelf packing them in boxes charmed with a featherweight charm. After a couple more hours everything was packed away and Teddy gave a sad sniff, “It looks so empty.”

 

    Harry sighed and walked to Teddy and hoisted him on his hip, nuzzling into the soft blue hair. “I know sweetie, but it will be ok and we’ll come visit all the time and they can come see us too.” Casting a glance at both males he smiled when they both nodded showing their agreement. Harry smiled and waved a hand shrinking all the boxes and putting them in a large suitcase along with all the boxes from Teddy’s room.Grabbing the handle Harry followed Scott and Logan down to the front doors of the manor. Walking out he gave a watery smile and laugh when he noticed the large group of students and professors standing around his new green and silver Mini Cooper. He loved that little car and there was nothing better than being able to buy the car flat out and to see his name on the title for the car. For a while he would giggle internally at the color scheme, but he really was more Slytherin then people gave him credit for.

 

    Walking down the stairs he smiled when Teddy began wiggling to be put down so he could run around and get last minute hugs from all his favorite people. Knowing that nothing would happen to his child Harry walked to the car and popped the trunk setting the suitcase gently down, closing the hatchback with a quiet snick. Turning he looked at all the people he had come to care for these past three years, he would miss them greatly. When a small hand landed on his shoulder he turned to look at Ororo and smiled softly when she pulled him into a hug.

 

    “Do not be strangers and come visit whenever you like.”

 

    Nodding slowly he pulled from her embrace and made his rounds, giving hugs and saying goodbye to everyone. Once he was sure he didn’t miss anyone he turned back to Logan and pulled him into a hug, “Get the address from Charles and come by whenever you want.” Thin arms tightened around his neck and a small sniff was heard before he pulled back with a wide smile, “I’ll miss you.”

 

    Logan grinned and ran a rough hand over Harry’s head before bending down to hug Teddy when the little boy barreled into his legs, “Be good for your dad kiddo and I’ll see you soon.” He stood with the child in his arms and passed him over to Harry so he could get him situated in the car seat and strapped in. Softly closing the door he turned and looked at his friends and family one last time, green eyes misted over fighting back tears.

 

    “Thank you again everyone. I’ll miss you all and I’ll come visit as soon as possible.” With one final wave Harry climbed in the car and drove off, heading toward their new place in New York City.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


            * **Couyon** \-  An ignorant person

            * **Capon** \- coward

            * **Gris-gris** \- An object used to ward off or inflict evil


	5. New Friends and..... Oh Shi* is that an Alien?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After settling in their new place Harry decides to take Teddy to the zoo and as is normal for the life of Harry Potter...... shit happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is a wee bit shorter than the others but I promise I'll try to keep the updates coming. Also I'm planing a new fic and I need a little help in deciding on which paring I want to focus on. So at the end of the chapter in the notes I'm going to list a few parings and I would appreciate it greatly if you guys could tell me who you would prefer. I promise cyber cookies for all!!!

Harry sighed softly as he watched over Teddy as the little boy sat quietly in a chair he had pulled to stare out the window. It had been a little over two months since they had moved to New York City and Teddy had been forced to leave the only home he had known. It tore at something deep in Harry every time he would see those bright amber eyes glisten over with tears at not being able to play with Rogue, study with Jean, or cuddle with Logan. The first two weeks in their new home had the two popping back to the manor almost every night, Teddy had refused to go to bed calmly until he was able to see Logan.

Recently the wailing cries and mood swings had dropped off leaving the three year old mopey and withdrawn, and Harry had no idea what to do to bring back Teddy’s smile. Biting his bottom lip Harry slipped into the kitchen to make a quick dinner for both of them, while racking his brain on what he could do.

When dinner was finished and set on the table Harry called for Teddy and frowned deeply when he shuffled into the dining room and quietly started picking at his food. Running a gentle hand through pale blue hair Harry turned to sit and begin eating. Just as he raised his fork to his mouth a soft tapping drew his attention to the window, where a small light brown owl was resting on the windowsill, a moon charm resting on it’s breast.

Raising from his seat Harry let the tiny bird in and watched as it flew and perched on the back of Teddy’s chair. Harry smiled softly at the look of awe that crossed Teddy’s face as he stared at the small owl, a tiny hand reaching out to gently pet the soft feathers. Amber eyes turned to Harry with a small smile, “What kind of owl is he Daddy?”

Harry padded forward and reached to scratch deeply between the large ears that rested atop the bird’s head. The owl leaned toward his hand silently asking for more attention and Harry let out a small chuckle before cocking his head to the side.

“I don’t really know. I’ve not seen one like this one before, but he’s carrying a letter from Luna so I’m sure she’ll let us know what he is.”

Teddy nodded and turned back to pet the owl as Harry reached out to remove the small burden the owl had and summoned a few treats for the tired bird before going to sit back down. Green eyes looked up when he heard Teddy giggle and a smile bloomed across his face watching as the owl hopped to rest on the small shoulder of the three year old silently grooming the boy’s hair. Hair that Harry was happy to was swiftly shifting from a pale blue to a bright purple. Seeing that Teddy was occupied he quickly opened the letter and had to snort at the words written across.

 

 

 

_Dear Silly Brother of Mine,_  
_ZOO; tomorrow……..Peacocks and animals._  
_~Luna_  
_PS. He’s a Collared Scops-Owl* and he is my gift to the two of you._  
_Think of it as a housewarming gift._  
_You should let Teddy help name him._

 

Harry smiled at the letter and shook his head fondly, looking back to the owl that was now resting on the table eating bits of food Teddy was passing him. Chuckling Harry called out to get Teddy’s attention and didn’t speak until he was sure he had it.

“He’s a Collared Scops, and he’s a gift from Luna. Wanna help me think of a name for him?”

Teddy beamed a bright smile at Harry and then focused on the bird that was slowly stealing food off his plate. Harry couldn’t help the fond chuckle that slipped out when Teddy scrunched up his face in thought. He silently waited while Teddy worked out what the owl should be called, and he hoped it wouldn’t be something too drastic.

“Cat-Bird, his name will be ‘Cat-Bird.”

Harry blinked at Teddy then turned his focus to the owl and had to snort loudly, fighting not to laugh, only to break down when the bird snapped his head toward Harry wide eyed and silently begging to talk the child into changing his name. He never knew that owls could look so offended and confused at the same time. When he finally had his laughter under control Harry shook head head gently.

“How about that can be your special name for him, like a code name?” Harry watched as Teddy cocked his head thinking on it. He hoped Teddy would go for it, the owl may be on the small side but he had no doubt that it would be a fierce animal. Finally Teddy nodded in agreement and reached to pet him again.

“Ok Daddy, but you can pick his other name.”

The elder let out a small thankful sigh before turned to focus on the bird, humming in thought he reached out to gently caress the soft feathers.

“How about Loki, he’ll fit in nicely with two second generation Marauders?”

Teddy brightened and then turned toward the owl who blinked slowly at Harry before focusing back on Teddy. “Is that ok Cat-Bird, can everyone else call you Loki? He’s supposed to be smart and super tricky. Uncle Forge sent me a book on Norse people.”

Harry watched to see how the bird would react to the name, both names actually. He smiled slightly when he saw the tiny chest heave as if releasing a heavy sigh before nodding to Harry and nibbling gently on Teddy’s fingers.

Smiling Harry nodded and sat back to finish eating, “We’ll go tomorrow morning to pick up everything we’ll need for Loki, and then we’ll spend the rest of the day at the Central Park Zoo.”

Teddy’s head snapped up to look at Harry before a wide smile burst across his face, eyes flashing bright green and his hair rotating through bright reds, greens, blues and oranges. He laughed loudly and jumped from his chair, running to Harry and leaping in his arms, chattering loudly about how the zoo would be awesome.

Hugging the toddler tightly and mentally thanking Luna for the owl and zoo idea, he turned toward Loki cooing softly to get his attention. When dark black eyes focused on him Harry shifted more food toward the bird. “Will you be ok tonight with a transfigured perch until we can get you a proper one?” Loki nodded at Harry before snatching up the offered food and flying to perch on Harry’s shoulder to continue grooming Teddy, then moving on to Harry’s, beak clicking at the untamable mess.

Harry laughed gently, still holding Teddy in his arms as the little boy was swiping food from his father’s plate.

“You really should just give up now. There is no hope for my hair.”

The only response was a soft bite to his ear and Loki continuing on to try and tame his hair.

 

* * *

The next day Harry and Teddy spent a couple of hours hopping from one pet store to the other picking out things for Loki. Teddy was determined to make sure his new friend had the best of everything they could possibly get. Harry couldn't help but be eternally grateful to Luna for helping bring Teddy out of his depressive state. It had been far too long since he had heard his cub's laughter and see that bright smile on his face. The raven couldn't help but smile when he remembered Teddy's excited demand that they take a picture of Loki and send it to Logan and the others back at the Manor. He was still slightly confused at the snort he got from Logan when he told him the owl's name and the wild man refused to answer him when asked.

Sighing softly when they reached their building Harry turned to Teddy calling to him making sure he had the three year old's attention. "Ok when we get inside we'll set up the perches in all the rooms and make sure he has food and water out, then I want you to run and change into something comfy for the trip to the zoo. Okay?"

 

Seeing Teddy nod Harry reached over to unhook Teddy from the safety seat before stepping out of the driver's side and walking to the trunk, where he pulled all their shrunken purchases out. When Teddy popped up next to him he handed the smallest bag to him knowing that the child would want to help. Smiling Harry tuned to make sure they got everything and that the car was locked up.

When the duo reached the Lobby, Harry waved to the doorman before ushering Teddy into the elevator before the little boy could bombard the man with news of his new pet.

Opening the door to their penthouse Teddy rushed past him to find Loki and show the bird all the new things they got for him. Harry just smiled while Teddy pulled things out of the bags holding them up the bird for inspection before moving on to something else. Shaking his head Harry moved to grab the four perches Teddy demanded they buy.

" _But Dad.... he has to have a place to rest in all important rooms; mine, yours, the living room and the kitchen."_

Conceding to the point he grabbed four and pushed Teddy along to get all the other things needed. Now back in the house Harry moved one into each room Teddy listed, waving a hand watching as the they each came together quickly with magic. Leaving the last room Harry made his way back to the living room where Teddy was still showing off things to Loki. Snorting he walked up behind the little boy and rested his hand on the soft bright purple locks.

"Cub go change and I'll get Loki all set up ok?" Teddy had pouted up at him until Harry reminded him that they were heading to the zoo, then the little boy bolted to his room to quickly change into worn jeans and sleeveless shirt, before running right back out to sit and wait for Harry to be done.

While Teddy was changing Harry bent to Loki and held his arm out for the owl to hop onto and walk him into the area in the living room with the perch. "Ok so I just need you to figure out where you want your perches in each of the rooms."

Loki gave nod before launching off Harry's arm and flying toward the area to the area between the gas fireplace and deep brown lounger Harry had fallen in love with at the store. Nodding Harry hefted the perch over there adjusting it slightly when Loki would cluck at him. When the other three rooms were done Harry moved about setting up food and water dishes in the two main rooms.

Walking back in the living room Harry couldn't help but laugh at how eager Teddy looked. The little boy had jumped up when he noticed his dad come back in the room practically vibrating with excitement. When his laughter quieted down to chuckles he walked over to one of the windows, pressing his hand against the glass muttering a quick charm that would allow Loki and only Loki through the window without having to keep it open all the time.

Giving Loki a gentle caress along the bird's chest as he walked past the perch Harry reached his hand out to Teddy smiling brightly when a tiny hand was immediately rested in his, holding tightly. "Come on Pup, time for the zoo!" Giving a happy laugh Teddy started tugging on Harry's hand trying to make him move faster. Laughing again Harry allowed himself to be pulled along making sure to lock up the house before making their way back to the car to head out to the Central Park Zoo.

When they reached the zoo and parked, Harry reached out to unlatch Teddy again however he kept a hold on him making the little boy focus on him.

"Dad what's wrong?"

Harry smiled at him and reached in his pocket and pulled out a small copper bracelet with a simple rune etched on it, Nothing's wrong cub I just need to give you something real quick."

Teddy watched as Harry reached out for his wrist holding it gently in his hand, before focusing on Teddy's face again.

"Now cub I need you to pick a form and hold it for a little bit ok. If you want you can just shift to mimic my colors. Can you do that for me?" Seeing Teddy nod Harry waited until his hair was a dark black and those amber eyes melted into a deep emerald green, before sliding the bracelet on Teddy's wrist.

He rested a hand over the rune and whispered words that were too soft for Teddy to hear and the three year old felt a small rush of magic run up his arm before spreading out over the rest of his body.

When Harry pulled his hand back Teddy pulled the bracelet to his face to look at the rune etched on it. A small finger ran over the etched line before raising his head to look at Harry, cocking his head slightly to the left. "What's this mean Dad and what was that for?"

Harry gently reached out to take Teddy's wrist again bringing both sets of emerald eyes back to focus on the simple design.

"This Teddy is the rune Isa, it's a rune that represents Ice, or Freezing. When you wear it it will lock your morphing ability until it's removed. It will always give you this appearance, I know you don't like it Love but we can't have your hair shifting while we're out with the Muggles. But I promise you as long as it's just us or our friends from the manor you won't have to wear it."

Teddy pouted but looked at the bracelet then nodded with a sheepish smile, he was happy that he wouldn't accidently cause trouble. It was just so hard sometimes to keep his hair one color. Reaching over he gave his dad a quick hug before sitting back emerald eyes sparkling slightly.

"Thanks Dad." He whispered softly then loudly with a heavy sigh, "Now can we go in?"

Letting out a loud laugh Harry reached to open his door, "Yeah kiddo we can go in now."  
"Finally!"

 

* * *

Harry and Teddy made their way in and after buying tickets Harry pulled Teddy off to the side and pulled the little boy up on his hip holding out the map for them to look over.

"Okay Teddy where to first?"

Harry smiled at the very serious way the little boy focused on the map trying to decide which way to go first and a small chuckle escaped when Teddy gave a nod coming to a decision.

"Let's go toward the penguins first and then work up and back this way. We can finish at the peacocks."

Checking over the may Harry nodded and set Teddy back on the ground reaching down to take his hand and led him toward the penguins. Laughing Harry kept a tight hold on his hand when Teddy picked up the pace almost trying to drag Harry into moving faster.

 

* * *

 

 

Harry couldn't hold back the smile as he listened to Teddy babble excitedly next to his ear about all the animals he has seen today, and how bats were now the most amazing thing ever. The little boy was now resting comfortably against Harry's back, having gotten tired after leaving the Tropic Zone of the zoo. The two were heading to the cafe close to the front of the zoo where they also had a small garden area set up, that also had peacocks roaming around freely. The small boy had always had a fascination with the brightly colored birds and it seemed fitting to end the day eating while watching the birds.

While they were walking around Harry had noticed a couple different signs hidden behind muggle repelling wards pointing to the Olympic Gardens and when Harry had managed to catch someone else looking at the sign he quietly asked about it.

"Oh it's the mythical zone of the zoo, all you need to do it head to the Children's zone and find the door labeled 'Tank Filtration- Employees Only' go through there and toward the back of the room you tap your wand against the 'Emergency Exit' sign and walk through. They have a whole reserve set up for magical creatures."

Harry had quickly thanked the man, grabbed a flyer and promised Teddy they would come back and see it when they had more time to enjoy it. Teddy had pouted but agreed since he was starting to get a bit hungry and tired.

When they made it back to the cafe Harry followed the hostess to a table on the back porch with a wide view of the peacocks roaming, some even within reaching distance behind a small fence keeping the birds off the patio. Teddy had been vibrating with excitement and cooing at the large male that kept walking by them. The three year old had demanded that Harry leave the camera out on the table so he could be ready to snap pictures if one of the males opened it's tail. With no fuss Harry gently set the camera down on the table before turning to the waiter and ordering for the two of them.

The two were almost finished with their meal when the screaming started. Running on instinct Harry shot up grabbing Teddy and holding the shaking child close to him, preparing to run or apparate if the need was there. He was just about to turn to run into the cafe when a loud explosion rocked the area next to the cafe, dirt and debris flying everywhere. When the dust settled Harry's eyes widened at the four beings standing in the center of the crater where they landed.

The creatures stood roughly 6 ft tall with pale skin and cold pale violet eyes peeking out from eye slots in the metallic helmets resting on their heads. Their silver armor covered most of their bodies leaving their hands, neck, lower face and eyes uncovered. When Harry focused he could see dark blue veins running along the visible skin. They were all armed with what looked like dark grungy muggle machine guns, but there was something much more sinister about them.

He clutched Teddy tightly to his chest, and began slowly walking backward toward the doors of the cafe. He silently motioned for the others to began heading back hoping they all knew to stay quiet and not draw anymore attention to themselves. Most of the children were just about to head in the door when small girl tripped over an overturned chair causing a loud bang to run through the air. Harry sucked in a breath when all four beings turned toward them and began yelling in a language he didn't understand.

He watched with bated breath as one began walking toward the little girl while the other three focused on the remainder of the people still outside on the patio. Tightening his grip on Teddy, Harry tried to figure out a way to get to the small girl crying on the ground while also protecting the others. Gritting his teeth tightly Harry shifted Teddy to get a better grip on the small child and whispered a sticking charm making sure no matter what he wouldn’t drop his precious son. Narrowed green eyes flickered back and forth running through different ideas, before a new sound was added to the yelling and crying all around him.

Tilting his head toward the new sound Harry’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the gold and red man-shaped being flying rapidly toward them. Sending a quiet prayer to anyone listening that this new man wasn’t an enemy Harry shifted his body weight, prepared to dart to the still crying little girl. He chanced a glance to the remaining three and seeing they were still a little distance away he pressed his lips against Teddy’s ear to whisper quietly to the trembling child.

“Teddy, I need you to listen to me very carefully okay?” Seeing the boy give a jerky nod Harry crouched a bit, his muscles tensing. “I’m about to run and grab a little girl. I need you to hold on as tight as you can. I also need you to open your eyes for me baby boy. I need you to be the eyes in the back of my head and let me know if anyone comes up behind me. Can you do that for me?”

Harry felt tiny arms clench tighter around his neck while Teddy also lifted his head from Harry’s shoulder focused on paying attention to what was behind his dad.

“Ready?” At Teddy’s whispered ‘Ready’, Harry shot forward, bringing the attention on the creature advancing on the little girl to him, giving him the opportunity to snatch her from the ground and hide behind an overturned table. Harry clutched the little girl tightly to his chest as the first shot rang out hitting the corner of the table the trio were hiding behind. Green eyes narrowed when both children cried out, holding tighter to Harry’s neck.

With only a quick glance over the edge of the table, double checking the location of the others Harry sent a medium level blasting curse at the hostile being shooting at them. The creature was hit hard in the shoulder sending it flying back roughly 15 feet, close to where the four hand originally landed. The other three stood shocked as their squad member was sent flying by the small human male, before it quickly turned to outrage and they began yelling and advancing on the table; Harry tensed waiting for the reaction when his view was blocked by gold and red.

The new person raised a hand releasing three bursts, sending the remaining creatures flying back. Harry watched as the machine like man looked over his shoulder sending him a quick nod before flying off to engage in the four hostiles again. Seeing the five of them were occupied Harry hefted the two kids up and ran back toward the group of cowering civilians. Reaching them, a woman separated from the group rushing to Harry to take the small girl from his arms, thanking him repeatedly.

Waving her off Harry adjusted his hold on Teddy and focused on the group of 20 still outside. Holding a hand up Harry waited until he had their focus before speaking in low tones trying to keep the attention off them.

“Ok, I need everyone to stay together and to remain quiet. We don’t need to bring attention to us, let’s let the others handle this.”

Without waiting for confirmation Harry turned his back to the group trusting Teddy to speak up if anyone tried anything, so he could focus on the 5 fighting in front of him. The metal man seemed to be holding his own against those creatures, managing to keep all three focused on him…….wait….three?

Harry’s head snapped around searching for the fourth creature, glancing quickly to see if the one he blasted was still unconscious. Not seeing anyone there he slowly started letting his magic seep out in a circle around him, trying to keep it away from the machine man fighting not wanting to cause any trouble with the electronics that seemed to be powering the suit. Focusing on the feeling of his magic Harry’s eyes snapped to his left where the fourth was trying to sneak up on them. Without shifting his body Harry flung a hand out muttering _Incarcerous_ , hoping it would work on whatever this thing was, and smirked as ropes appeared and wrapped tightly around the struggling body.

Seeing the spell worked against the creature Harry threw his arm out toward the other three and called out the spell again, accidentally getting the legs of the metal man caught up in it. The man let out a surprised shout turning to see what happened and was astounded to see thick ropes wrapped tightly around his legs. Reaching a hand out to touch the ropes he was surprised when the blasters in his boots started acting up sending out small sparks that were getting larger as time went out. Quickly reaching down he tried to rip the ropes off but noticed that his gauntlets had the same reaction when they got close. Slightly panicking he almost didn’t notice the lithe male that dropped to the ground next to his legs.

Harry quickly noticed the sparks emitting from boots on the metal man and rushed to remove the ropes before things got worse. When he dropped next to the other he quickly dodged when a gauntlet was shoved in his face and a small pulse was released. Growling softly at the fact that Teddy could have been hurt he held his hands up in a peaceful manner and focused on the face of the man in front of him.

“Look you need to let me get them off before your legs blow up, I swear to you I mean you no harm.”

Harry waited until he received a nod before touching the ropes and whispering a quiet _Finite_. He looked back up at the man and opened his mouth to say something when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he very quickly twisted his body away, jumping back a couple feet. Hearing a heavy thudding sound he looked at the spot he had been sitting at and only seeing a shield imbedded deep in the ground. Eyes wide Harry looked up and saw 2 men running toward them, one dressed in full body gear painted in the colors of the American flag and the other dressed like an old school warrior with a flowing red cape.

Snarling softly Harry turned to the man still seated on the ground, “Is this really how you thank someone when they only wanted to help?!” Without waiting on an answer Harry turned and dashed off, quickly summoning the camera before disappearing in the crowds of people showing up to get a peek at the chaos left behind. Reaching his car Harry quickly detached Teddy from his neck and strapped him in before jumping in the car and heading straight home.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony looked at the spot where Cap's shield was imbedded deep in the ground and where the raven haired male had occupied just before. Blinking he snapped up his face plate and shifted his legs feeling that he had complete movement again and that the ropes that had been so tightly around them was nowhere in sight. Frowning he stood and looked all around trying to see where the cut off ropes had fallen only to have his frown deepen when he couldn't see them at all. Squatting down he snapped the face plate back into place, ignoring both Steve and Thor's questions.

"Jarvis run a scan, see if you can't pick up any evidence of ropes or foreign energy sources ."

Hearing the soft confirmation Tony turned his attention to the two still firing questions at him. Snapping his face plate up he glared at the two still in front of him, effectively stopping them mid question. Narrowing his eyes Tony stuck a metal finger in Steve's chest, "What the HELL did you think you were doing?! You threw your shield at an unarmed teen holding a kid!"

He ignored the shocked widening of Steve's eyes and forged on building himself up into a rant of epic proportions.

"Did I ask for help? Did I scream in terror? Did it really look like some pint sized teen was threatening me? Could you not hear what he said through the com? I know it was loud enough. Did you not see the CHILD he was holding?!"

At this point the remaining members walked up with a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents following along behind. Glaring one last time at the two Tony turned back to the spot the teen had been in and sent a quick glance to the 4 creatures still tied up, making sure they were still there.

**"Sir, I've run numerous scans on the surrounding area and there is no evidence of ropes ever having been there. There is however a small residue of an un-named energy, and looking back over the interaction there was a small spike when the young man reached out to touch the ropes and whisper a word I was not able to pick up on."**

Tony stood and nodded, "Thanks J, I need you to pull different angles of the fight from the surrounding cameras and condense them so I can look when I get home. I have a feeling this quick and painless ending was in thanks to our little mystery friend."

Hearing the affirmation from Jarvis, Tony walked toward the 4 aliens still tied up by whatever rope the kid had made. "Jarvis scan the bindings and let me know if it's the same energy source." Without waiting on an answer Tony squated down by the creatures dutifully ignoring the reprimands from Steve, Bruce, and the other agents scattered around. Reaching a hand out he ran a finger over the ropes only to jerk his hand back when small sparks shot from his fingertip.

Looking at his finger he saw no actual damage to his suit and frowned, there was definitely sparks flying from the point of contact but nothing left behind. Narrowing his eyes Tony stood still ignoring the people around him, he only half heard Jarvis tell him that the energy from the ropes was the same as the one recorded before.

“Do a scan of the area around, focusing on the patio J. Put all the readings together ready for me to look at when I get back to the tower.” Again not waiting on an answer he turned back to the Avengers, frowning harshly at Steve and Thor before turning to look at the other three.

“Did any of you see or hear anything during my fight?”

Bruce shook his head in the negative, he didn’t revert back to himself until just a few moments ago. Natasha and Clint watched Tony closely frowning slightly at the intense look in the man’s eyes.

“No I only heard him say he was trying to help. Nothing beyond that.” Clint watched as Tony started pacing while shooting looks at the 4 aliens tied up. Something just wasn't adding up with the way Tony was acting, "Did something happen?"

Tony stopped his pacing to look at the archer with a frown on his face, "When I showed up there was a male hiding behind an overturned table with 2 kids held against his chest, he had somehow sent one of our friends over there flying with a blast of light. I didn't see a weapon or anything, after that I focused on the fight with the other three."

Tony sighed and narrowed his eyes thinking back on everything that happened, trying to recall every detail. "I didn't even notice the fourth one waking up and creeping along the outside until I heard it shout and when I turned to look at it the thing was wrapped up tightly with those ropes. Next thing I know the kid turns toward me, throws his hand out and calls out 'Incarcerous', a burst of ultraviolet light flows out of his hand, and the further it gets from the kid they started to form ropes that a wrapped around the other three aliens."

Biting his bottom lip Tony looked back down at the armor covering his legs quietly asking Jarvis to run a scan on the suit to see if there was any damage he couldn't see. He then focused back on Clint returning back to the account of what happened.

"I must have been too close because my legs got caught up in them as well. When looked down at them, sparks were shooting from the places the ropes touched. I was going to reach and just try to rip them off, I heard someone kneel beside me and saw a hand reach out for my legs. Not knowing who it was I reacted quickly and if the kid didn't have amazing reflexes I'd have shot him in the face. That's where you started to hear the conversation. He mumbled something and touched the ropes and they just ..... dissolved." He knew his voice was a little hysterical as he recounted the events.

His eyes then narrowed at Steve and Thor, “Then Cap and Cape here thought I couldn’t handle a small teen with a toddler clutched to his chest. The kid was about to say something before I saw him jerk out of the way right before Cap’s shield stuck the ground right where the pint sized raven had been sitting. After that he just bolted, I’m getting J to collect all the information about the fight so I can figure out exactly what happened.”

Turning his back to the others he flipped his face plate down again and started running scans on the surrounding areas, hoping to spot anything that would help in figuring out who that kid was. Tony blinked when he saw a small flare of energy over by one of the over turned tables. Walking toward it he heard Jarvis mention that the energy was similar to the one from the raven haired teen, but not quite the same. Letting out a humming sound Tony followed the trail to a small folded paper half under the table. Reaching down to grab it he noticed it was it was a flyer for the zoo but something seemed off about it.

 _Why would that energy source be on a normal flyer for the zoo?_ Tony checked over the flyer before dropping it to the ground when he noticed a small spark shoot off. Narrowing his eyes he glared at the paper before looking over his shoulder and called for Clint.

"Oy Legolas come here for a moment."

Looking at Tony, Clint walked over to him with a raised eyebrow. Stopping next to him with a curious tilt to his head he followed Tony's outstretched arm toward the flyer on the ground.

"What is it Tony?"

Huffing slightly Tony pouted, "I need you to pick that up for me. When I tried the gauntlet started to spark like it did with the ropes."

Clint's eyes widened slightly as he cautiously reached down to pick up the flyer, sighing softly when nothing happened. "What do you want me to do with it?"

Stepping closer slightly Tony lowered his voice, "Fold it up and stick it in your pocket. I want to look at it when we get back to the tower but I don't want Agent and his friends to get a hold of it."

Nodding, Clint slipped the flyer into his back pocket before pressing down on the com in his ear, "I'm going to go get the jet started up so we can head back. Cap, Fury wants you to come in for a debriefing." Getting an affirmative from everyone he turns to look at Tony, "Give me a lift back to the jet before you head off?"

Tony just nodded and waved him closer being careful not to touch anywhere near the folded paper in Clint's pocket before shooting off toward the jet. After dropping Clint off Tony shot back into the sky heading toward the Tower all the while thinking on the strange raven haired man.

 

* * *

 

 

When the other Avengers made it back to the Tower they each headed off toward their own rooms for a shower and a clean change of clothes, before heading down to Tony's workshop knowing that Tony was on a mission trying to figure out who this kid was. When they walked into the room it was to Tony holding a fire extinguisher having just put out a small fire by one of the computers.

"Tony what happened?"

Hearing Bruce's question Tony snapped his head toward the door with a sheepish smile and pointed toward a small paper on one of tables. "Well I was trying to run scans on this because it has a similar energy to the ropes, but a minute or two after starting sparks shot out and the screen caught fire."

Frowning Bruce walked to one of the other computers to check the reading before the computer had caught fire. He cocked an eyebrow when he saw it was a flyer and ignored the others coming up to check it out as well. Moving out of the way so they could all see the screen better he walked to the table and picked it up, frowning deeper when he felt something off about it, like a whisper in the back of his mind.

Running a hand over the flyer once again he turned toward Tony with the man came to stand next to him. "Something is off with this, it kinda feels like the shit Loki pulled but not quite."

Tony's eyes widened as he looked over Bruce's shoulder, "So you think it's some kind of Asgardian thing?"

"I don't know, not really but it feels like something like that." Heaving a heavy sigh Bruce turned towards Thor calling the man over. "Have you ever seen or felt anything like this on Asgard?"

The large man walked to stand next to Tony and Bruce, looking over the flyer with a small frown gracing his face. " I am unfamiliar with this type of magic. It has a similar feel of the magic of Asgard, but not quite. It almost seems wilder; younger."

Bruce let out a sigh, pinching bridge of his nose and dropping heavily into chair in front of the computer. "Are you telling me that we have to now worry about more people using _magic_ here?"

The remainder of the Avengers grimaced at the thought, all of them remembering the chaos Loki had caused with magic.

Tony frowned glaring at the seemingly innocent flyer, "I'm still waiting on the reports from Shield about the aliens and whatever ropes were used and Jarvis is running a facial recognition scan looking for any hint of our mystery father and son combo." Biting his bottom lip Tony reached and took the flyer from Thor, "Until then I guess I'll have to try low-tech to figure out what I can."

The others all nodded and headed out of the lab, knowing they would only be in the way while Tony worked. As the doors closed they all hoped that he would figure something out soon, none of them liked not knowing what they were dealing with; but knowing that if anyone could figure it out.....It would be Tony Stark.

 

* * *

 

 

For an entire week Tony tried everything he could to figure out the strange readings on the flyer and the report from SHIELD on the ropes that were still tied around the aliens. He had been tweaking the machines each time they started to spark and this morning the machines stopped acting up.

He even called Charles Xavier to see if the man knew anything about the male. He had finally gotten fed up with staring at sparking machines and decided to try a more 'human' approach. Stretching his arms above his head he called out to Jarvis, "Hey J, call up Xavier." Hearing the soft ringing Tony sat back in his chair and ran a tired hand down his face.  
"Mr. Stark, it's rare for you to call. What can I help you with?"

Letting out a small sigh, Tony closed his eyes and rested his forehead gently on the desk in front of him. "I need your help on finding someone. I think they might be a mutant."

He heard Charles hum softly before speaking quietly, "I will do my best to help you if I can, tell me about this person."

Tony straightened in his chair before heaving a deep sigh, "During a small fight between four new aliens and myself there was an unknown male with a strange power, he could focus energy and send it out through his palm. He was able to send one of them flying back a few feet and was able to make ropes out of nothing that wrapped around the aliens. We still haven't been able to get those ropes off."

The other end of the line was quiet for a moment before Charles spoke again, "What did this unknown male look like?"

"I'm sending the best photo of him I have to your screen."

Charles mumbled a quiet Thank You and waited for the picture to pop up. Tony was twitching slightly while he waited on Charles to view the photo. He really hoped the older mutant knew who this kid was, he really didn't like having an unknown person in his city, especially if this kid was trouble.

He heard Charles chuckle quietly and he held his breath, waiting for whatever news he could give him.

"I am sorry Mr. Stark, but I know of no _mutant_ who looks like this."

Hearing this Tony breathed out deeply before banging his head on the table again, "Thanks anyway Professor. I'll speak with you later." Barley waiting on the other man to say goodbye, Tony had Jarvis cut the phone off. With one last heavy sigh Tony looked toward the flyer once again and decided he might as well get back to work on that.

The conversation with Charles was two days ago and at the moment the flyer was sitting innocently on an exam table as Jarvis collected data on the strange energy. Tony was slumped in a chair in front of one of the many work tables in the lab, head resting on the only clean spot on the table.

This was how Steve found him when he came in to bring Tony coffee and a small sandwich, knowing that the genius hadn't stepped out of the lab in the past two days. Shaking his head with a small smile Steve quietly walked toward the dozing man and set the food next to him and slowly back tracked out of the lab, leaving Tony to sleep as much as he could.

Roughly five minutes after Steve left Jarvis let out a small ping, snapping Tony awake. Seeing the coffee Tony snatched the mug and downed it in two giant gulps, ignoring the burn of the hot liquid. Picking up the sandwich at a slower pace Tony took a bite in a daze, absently noting that it was made just the way he liked it and let out a questioning grunt as to why he was woken up.

**"Sir, you asked me to alert you if I picked up on the 'Unknown Male' in any of the CCTV's around the city."**

Tony's head snapped toward the closest screen and a smirk crossed his face. There seated in a small cafe close to the tower was the stranger and kid, happily munching on food. Tony jumped from the table, running towards his room to quickly change out of his grungy work clothes; after all first impressions are very important.

 

* * *

 

 

Harry sighed as he sipped his coffee, it had only been a week since the Zoo incident and now he was slightly nervous every time he took Teddy anywhere in the city. He had his wand strapped to his arm, even though he mostly had no use for it for most everyday actions, he still needed it for specific and intricate spells to focus his magic. He couldn't help but be a little paranoid considering the life he had lived until now, and he refused to keep Teddy locked up and hidden away to try and keep him safe. Harry was well aware of how well that worked out.

Sighing again he focused back on Teddy as the three year old ate his grilled cheese and babbled to the waitress, Maya, about his best friend Cat-Bird. Harry couldn't help but smile at the adoring look the waitress was giving Teddy, he had her completely wrapped around his little greasy finger. He knew that Teddy would also be begging to make sure that his new friend received a very good tip, and he knew he would never deny that child anything.

"Cub finish your food, we still have to go pick up a few things after this."

Seeing Teddy pouting he shook his head with a small smile on his face, "I promise you can say bye before we leave."

Teddy continued to pout until Maya reached out and ran a hand through his hair, "I'll come back and talk some more before you leave; I promise."

Smiling again Teddy went back to eating and Harry continued to sip on his coffee while glancing at the New York Times.

Harry startled slightly when someone sat across from him and coughed to get his attention. Glancing at the well dressed man across from him Harry couldn't help but appreciate the specimen. The man was flawlessly tailored perfectly in an Alexander Amosu* custom suit and had his hair mussed in a deliberate messy fashion. A sexy smirk topped off the delicious sight as he lifted the sunglasses off his face and tucked them neatly in his breast pocket.

Harry smiled back sweetly, even as he shifted slightly making sure his wand was ready and that he could easily grab Teddy if they needed to bolt. "Hello."

Harry's eyes widened when the man smiled widely showing off perfectly straight white teeth, "Hello to you too Mr. Wizard."*

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

*Collared Scops-Owl

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7443/12863248863_de6465f629_b.jpg

*The second most expensive suit I've seen is hand stitched by Amosu and has buttons made of 18 carat diamonds. Total cost was $101,890. Ps: Tony's suit does NOT have the diamond buttons.... Even he would think that would be too much.

  
*Watch Mr. Wizard is an American television program (1951–1965) for children that demonstrated the science behind ordinary things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the pairings I'm debating on are listed below:
> 
> Harry/Crowley - Creature Fic  
> Harry/Deadpool - MOD fic  
> Harry/Loki - Dark Harry  
> Harry/Logan (Wolverine) - MOD fic  
> Harry/Sirius - Time Travel Fic
> 
>  
> 
> The poll ends when Chapter 6 is posted.   
> As you can see it's gonna be a Harry fic no matter what but I need help on who to pair him with. So yeah..... vote away (please)!!!


	6. Well Hello There......

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iron Man and a Wizard walk into a bar......
> 
> Tony and Harry have a heart to heart on myths and legends and Teddy gains a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first things first..... Don't Own....No money made... blah blah blah
> 
> *So this chapter is shorter than the others. I decided to do that so I can have chapters come out sooner, so no more waiting months for updates.
> 
> *Poll is over....Logan/Harry won. So that will be started soon. Woot. Hopefully it's as well received. 
> 
> *The next chapter for 'Beastly Bites' should be up soon as well. It's what happened after Harry left the Burrow.
> 
> *Obviously this is an AU so things will be different than cannon. It's fanfiction...yeah? Groovy. 
> 
> *I was going to have this after Winter Soldier but I decided against that cause I want SHIELD to be 'thing', so yeah.

Harry’s eyes widened and his heart started beating wildly in his chest as he stared at the man across from him. Fighting to keep his voice even as to not scare Teddy he turned his head slightly while still keeping the smirking man in focus.

 

“Cub, why don’t you go and cause some mischief?”

 

Teddy bit his bottom lip and looked at the strange man across from his Daddy and reached down to grab his backpack. “Do I need my jacket, Daddy?”

 

Harry saw the man raise a sculpted eyebrow as he watched the interaction between the two of them. Harry frowned and he reached out to run a hand through Teddy’s black hair, “Yes Cub, make sure you put your jacket on.”

 

Seeing Teddy nod Harry focused back on the man across from him only half noticing Teddy digging in his backpack as he walked toward the restrooms. Harry coughed to get the stranger's attention back on him and not on Teddy who was almost out of sight. When brown eyes focused back on him Harry let his eyes narrow in suspicion as he leaned back in his chair, taking a small sip of coffee.

 

“Is there a specific reason you decided to intrude on our lunch, Mr…...?”

 

Tony raised a brow at the raven haired male across from him, “You don’t know who I am?” When he received only a negative shake of the head Tony’s jaw dropped. “How do you not know who I am?! I’m Tony Stark.”  

 

Harry just sent him a bored look and reached for his coffee again. He was really trying to not laugh at the shocked offended look Stark was giving him. A small smirk made it’s way across his face at the small tick of the man’s jaw.

 

“Have you heard of Iron Man? Ya know…. the Hero you helped at the Zoo?”

 

This finally got him a reaction as the Raven’s eyes widened again and he leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table. “So that was you in the suit?” Seeing him nod Harry narrowed his eyes again and lowered his voice, “Why are you here? And if you even think of laying a hand on my son….”

 

Tony’s eyes snapped open as he waved his hands erratically, cutting Harry off. “Woah...woah. I’m not here to hurt or threaten anyone.”

 

“Well then, why are you here?”

 

Tony let out a sigh and looked around the coffee shop, eyes lingering on the door to the restrooms, “Are you sure you want to have this conversation here?”

 

Harry leaned back in his chair and leveled a contemplative stare at Tony, trying to figure the man out. “I’m not going anywhere with you until I know what you want, and even then I won’t go to a place _you_ choose.”

 

The man just raised his arms in a sign of peace, “I really do just want to talk, that’s all. Um… shouldn’t you be worried about where your kid is?” Tony frowned and turned to look over the entire place, trying to spot the child. When he focused back on Harry he was only slightly surprised to see a small smirk on the man's face.

 

Emerald eyes stared into rich brown, testing the truth of Tony’s words. He was about to open his mouth to ask another question when his phone went off, alerting him to a text. Grumbling softly Harry dug the phone out of his pocket and frowned when he saw it was from Charles. Expertly ignoring Stark across from him Harry opened the message, only to groan softly as he read the words.

_Harry, It's ok to trust Stark. He means you no harm. CX_

 

Sighing softly in relief Harry slid his phone back in his pocket and focused on Stark across from him. Coming to a decision, Harry reached a hand out across the table to Stark. "Harry Smith".

 

Tony looked at the hand reached out to him before returning the gesture and gripped the smaller pale hand, "Tony Stark". When Tony leaned back in his chair he looked around again, searching  for the kid that was with Harry. "So where did you send the minion off too?"

 

Harry huffed a quiet laugh and smirked at the man across from him, before taking on a serious expression. "Do you swear to me that you mean no harm to me or my son? I know Charles said I could trust you but I still need to hear it."

 

Tony cocked his head slightly at the serious look on the raven's face and nodded, "I swear to you, I mean neither you or your son any harm. I only want to talk about what happened and the  things I don't understand and....... Wait. Did you say 'Charles', Charles Xavier?"

 

When Harry nodded Tony let out an indignant squawk and whipped his phone out, "J, call Xavier."

 

Harry sat back and watched the emotions run across Tony's face, trying desperately not to laugh. While Tony waited the Xavier to pick up Harry stretched his magic out thinly searching for Teddy and smiled when he felt the little boy's energy under the table between him and Stark.

 

Hearing Tony snap out "You lied Professor!" brought Harry's attention back to the man and just raised an eyebrow at the annoyed tone. Leaning forward Harry could quietly make out Charles' half of the conversation.

 

"Mr. Stark I never lied to you. You asked if I knew of a mutant who looked like the male in the photo, and I do NOT indeed know of a _mutant_ who looks like that."

 

Tony frowned and cast a glance at Harry again, "Why didn't you just tell me that you knew him?"

 

Charles laughed lightly causing Tony to pout and Harry to smile, "I did not tell you because it is not my place too. Think Tony, you are a genius. What possible reasons could there be?"

 

Tony sucked in a harsh breath as he stared at Harry who was frowning at the phone.

 

"Harry, Sweet One, I know you can hear me. Trust Stark, childish as he may be he is a good man." Harry bit his lip as he stared at the phone and nodded once to Tony as he sat back. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear when Tony hung up.

 

"So where would you like to have this conversation?"

 

Wrinkling his nose Harry thought about all the options and finally decided to just trust his gut and Charles. "We'll go back to mine, but first a small warning. If anything happens to us because I extended this little bit of trust, I want you to remember the ropes and then let your imagination run wild on what could happen." When Tony nodded Harry smiled at him and took a final sip of coffee before leaning back.

 

"Mischief Managed."

 

Tony looked at Harry oddly before letting out a manly shriek when a tiny hand grabbed his pants leg. Looking under the table he blinked confusedly when he saw young emerald eyes on a tiny face.

 

"Hi."

 

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed... hard. The shocked looked on Tony's face was just too much. Fighting back his laughter until it only the occasional chuckle slipped past his lips Harry reached under the table to pull Teddy into his lap, settling him until he was facing Tony.

 

"Cub, introduce yourself."

 

Smiling brightly Teddy reached a hand out over the table, "Hello, my name is Teddy Smith and I'm three years old."

 

Casting a quick look at Harry to make sure it was really alright and seeing the subtle nod reached out and shook Teddy's hand. "It's nice to meet you Teddy, I'm Tony Stark."

 

Shifting Teddy again Harry grabbed the backpack and stood tossing some money on the table. "Come on Mr. Stark, I need to let Teddy say bye to Maya before we can go."

 

Nodding Tony stood and followed the father and son as they walked up to a pretty young waitress standing off to the side of the wait station. When she saw the two walking toward her she immediately broke into a huge smile and headed their way.

 

"I promised he could say bye before we left."

 

Maya nodded as she reached a hand out to run through Teddy's hair, "Bye Teddy, I'll see you the next time you guys come in here, Okay?"

 

Teddy nodded eagerly and waved at her as they left the cafe, still situated on Harry's hip. Resting his head on the shoulder in  front of him Teddy looked over the new person with them. He smelled different and the three year old wasn't quite sure what that meant. Turning his head so that his mouth was by Harry's ear, Teddy whispered as quiet as a three year old could.

 

"Daddy, he smells different."

 

Tony frowned and snuck a glance at the toddler before focusing back on where they were walking, keep one ear out for anything else said.

 

Harry hummed slightly and pressed a kiss to the top of Teddy's head. "I'm sure he does, he's that robot we met the other day at the zoo."

 

Teddy's eyes widened as he let out a surprised gasp and snapped his head to face Tony, "You're a robot?!"

 

Smirking at the pout on Tony's face at being called a robot again, Harry rubbed a calming hand up and down Teddy's back, "No Cub, he was in the robot."

 

Teddy blinked wide green eyes at Tony, silently begging for an explanation; which Tony was happy to supply just so they would stop calling his Iron Man a _robot_.

 

Harry listened as Stark explained about the Iron Man and Avengers figuring it would be good to know about actual _heroes_ in the city. He was slightly in awe of the rag tag group of people who came together to save New York from an alien attack, led by the Norse God Loki himself.  Sighing Harry remembered Logan's amusement when he told him the name they gave the owl. _Well I guess that explains the amusement._

 

Harry smiled slightly as he looked at Teddy, the three year old was hanging off every word Stark said, awe clearly showing on his face. He was glad that Teddy was smiling again, he was beginning to second guess moving out of the manor. However the little boy was beaming at Stark and laughing at the stories he was being told, and for that Harry was grateful.

 

In no time at all they walked up to Harry's building and Stark let out a small whistle of appreciation at the lavish lobby. "So you're loaded too huh?"

 

Harry smiled and sent a wink at Tony, "You could say that."

 

Shaking his head Tony followed the pair into the elevator and raised an eyebrow when Harry reached out to press the button for the penthouse. _Definitely loaded_ , Tony thought.

 

When they reached the right floor Harry set Teddy on the ground and let him dart into the apartment first, with Tony and Harry following at a slower pace. Heading straight to the kitchen Harry went about making drinks for all of them while letting Tony look around the place.

 

Leaving the kitchen with the drinks and a couple blueberry muffins, after he remembered Luna's warning from her first letter, laden on a tray he smirked at seeing Tony sitting on one of the couches with an excited three year old perched on his lap. Harry knew Teddy was a good judge of character, being able to sniff out emotions on people, and it made him relax more seeing that Teddy had warmed right up to Tony.

 

Setting the tray on the coffee table Harry grabbed the sippy cup and held it out to Teddy. "Hey Cub, I have your cup of 'moon milk'." For the moment Harry ignored the curious look Tony was giving him and smiled widely when Teddy jumped off the couch with happy shout. Reaching out Teddy took a big drink and let out a small howl before breaking out in giggles and hopping back on the couch.

 

"Moon milk?"

 

Harry smiled and nodded and spoke quietly so Teddy couldn't hear, "It's just milk with vanilla bean and some extra bits added in to make it sparkle." Laughing softly Harry sent a fond look at Teddy before turning back to Tony, "It was the only way to get him to drink his milk, he said he reminded him of moonlight, hence the howl."

 

Chuckling softly Tony turned to look at Teddy once more, looking back at Harry when he noticed the man holding out of coffee for him.

 

"I figured you're not much of  a tea drinker, there are also blueberry muffins if you want some."

 

Grinning Tony reached out taking the steaming mug with a whisper thanks and snatched a muffin, taking a large bit. Tasting the sweet wonderfulness that is blueberries  Tony let out a soft moan, these muffins really were the best he had tasted in quite a long time. Looking back up at Harry he sent the man a pleading look, "Please tell me where you bought these. I need these for reasons."

 

Harry laughed and sat in the armchair across from him, "Didn't buy them, I made them. They are one of Teddy's favorites."

 

Brown eyes widened and looked between the muffin and Harry before focusing back on the emerald eyed man, "Move in with me.... I need you close for your amazing coffee and muffin skills. There's plenty of space at Avengers Tower."

 

Snorting, Harry shook his head smiling, "My my, Mr. Stark. You move very fast... I've only known you for roughly an hour and you're already asking me to move in? What would the public think, you moving in young man and his three year old son?"

 

The man across from him just waved him off. "It will just give them something new to talk about, they've been saying that Nat and I are sleeping together."

 

Harry cocked his head slightly wondering who 'Nat' was but not caring enough to ask. "Let's get back on track shall we? I thought you had questions."

 

Tony  nodded grimly and set his coffee on the table before focusing on Harry. "So you're not a mutant?"

 

Harry just smiled gently and shook his head, "No."

 

"Are you a science experiment gone wrong?"

 

This made Harry snort loudly while grinning, "Nope."

 

"Are you an Alien?"

 

"Colder, Mr. Stark."

 

Tony frowned, biting his lip in thought, "So... You're human?"

 

"Yes."

 

Harry smiled at the huff Tony let out and sat back in his chair, comfortably sipping at his coffee waiting to see what question would be next. Soon enough Teddy got bored of just sitting around and hopped off the couch rushing off to his room.

 

"Are you some sort of super secret ninja assassin, out to save the world with your awesome bondage skills?

 

Tony couldn't help but laugh at the wide eyed look on Harry's face as he choked slightly on his coffee.

 

Collecting himself, Harry glared slightly at the laughing man across from him, "No Mr. Stark, I am not a ninja, nor do I have 'awesome bondage skills'."

 

Pouting slightly Tony crossed his arms over his chest, "Well that's kinda lame. Bondage skills would be a very fun thing to know. And call me Tony, Mr. Stark makes me uncomfortable."

 

Rolling his eyes at the man Harry sipped his coffee again, "Very well Tony, you may also call me Harry."

 

Smiling brightly Tony opened his mouth to ask another question, but was interrupted when Teddy came racing out of his room with a pair of plushies: a soft brown wolf and shaggy haired black dog.

 

"Daddy! Daddy! Turn them on please, Moony and Padfoot want to play!"

 

Green eyes softened and a small smile spread across Harry's face, "Sure Cub, come here."

 

Critical brown eyes watched as Teddy walked to Harry and held out two stuffed animals. Harry simply reached out and placed a finger on each one before Teddy set them on the ground. Tony's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he watched what were supposed to be simple stuffed toys come alive and start bouncing around the three year old.

 

Harry's eyes snapped back to Tony when heard the man gasp as he watched the now active toys. He couldn't help but chuckle softly as he ran a gentle hand through Teddy's hair.

 

"Is something the matter Tony?"

 

Brown eyes narrowed and snapped back up to look at Harry, noticing nothing but amusement in those green eyes. "How did you do that? They were stuffed animals just a moment ago!"

 

Harry smirked at Tony, not bothering to answer. He watched as Tony opened his mouth to no doubt fire off more questions, only for the man to hiss in pain and reach a hand up to cover his chest as one of the toys got too close.

 

Harry shot up off the chair and snatched up the Padfoot toy, shutting off the magic that was keeping him active. Kneeling in front of Tony, Harry gently reached up and removed the man's hand, pushing aside the lapels on Tony's suit.

 

A quiet gasp slipped past shocked lips when Harry saw the faint glow from under Tony's shirt. Slowly Harry reached up and gently laid a hand over the glowing circle, frowning when his fingers met cool metal.

 

Tony stiffened when Harry reached for the arc reactor, fighting every instinct in him to throw the man away. His mind was speeding through all the variables that could happen. He could throw Harry back and have the man lash out at him, but he remembered all the electronics that had sparked or blown because of something this man did. Feeling light soft fingers run around the edges of the metal Tony made a decision, Xavier trusted this kid and he knew that if he wanted answers he was going to have to give a little too. So ignoring his mind for once he followed his gut and took a deep breath, watching Harry's face closely.

 

Clenching his teeth Tony reached up and gently wrapped his hand around the delicate wrist, moving it to rest on his thigh. He watched as green eyes snapped up to meet his confusion and guilt running through the emerald depths. Slowly he brought his hands up to the buttons of his shirt and began undoing them.

 

Seeing what Tony was doing Harry allowed his eyes to travel back to the man's chest. He cast another quick glance up to Tony's face, noting that his teeth were clenched and he was shaking slightly. Green eyes widened when he realized that Tony was scared. Of what exactly Harry was unsure, but he knew the man was slightly unsure as to what to do.

 

Eyes softening gently, pale delicate hands reached up and covered larger tan ones. "Tony, please don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you don't want to show me, that's fine. If you would rather just tell me what you can, that's fine too. I would like to know what this is so Teddy or I don't accidentally hurt you."

 

Exhaling in relief, shoulders dropping slightly, Tony shook his head. "I don't mind showing you, but I need you to swear to me that whatever happens in here, _**Stays Here**_."

 

Reaching behind him for Tony's coffee and handing it to the man, he smiled softly. "Tony I give you my word that whatever is said in this apartment will remain here."

 

Tapping the rim of the mug silently telling the man to drink Harry stood, "Take a moment Tony. Relax, sip your coffee and eat a muffin. I'm going to go put Teddy in his room for the moment so he can play there."

 

Seeing Tony nod Harry reached out and ran a soothing hand through his hair, "There is no rush, take your time."

 

Turning toward Teddy, who now had both toys clutched tightly against his chest, Harry reached down and plucked him off the floor. Padding quietly down the hall to Teddy's room, he held the slightly shaking three year old close to his chest, running a hand up and down his back.

 

Reaching the room he set Teddy down on the bed and kneeled in front of him. Smiling Harry reached to cup the three year olds face making sure he had Teddy's focused attention.

 

"Everything's ok Cub, I promise. Tony and I need to have a talk about magic and electronics, so you'll need to stay back here until I come and get you ok?" When Teddy nodded, he stood to give him a hug and a quick kiss on the forehead.

 

Right before leaving the room Harry felt Teddy grip his wrist and tug on him gently. Kneeling again in front of the three year old he cocked his head in silent question, frowning when Teddy wasn't looking at him.

 

"Will you tell Mr. Tony that I didn't mean it and that I'm sorry?"

 

Sighing softly Harry bundled the little boy in his arms, "Oh Cub, no one is mad at you. And we both know it was an accident, okay?" Receiving a nod, Harry turned Teddy back towards his room, jokingly swatting him on the backside, getting a giggle in return. "Good, now go play."

 

When Harry reached the living room Tony was still seated on the couch, empty mug on the table and half eaten muffin in his hands. Brown eyes met green and Tony sighed, setting the muffin back on the tray. Walking to the couch Harry settled next to the nervous male smiling softly at him.

 

"Take your time Tony."

 

Nodding Tony angled his body toward Harry and reached up to finish unbuttoning his shirt, finally letting the arc reactor be visible.

 

Harry sucked in a harsh gasp, "Does it hurt?"

 

Tony blinked and let out a huffy laugh, "No, I can hardly feel it there any more."

 

Nodding Harry reached a tentative hand out  looking at Tony, a questioning glance obvious across his face. Receiving a tiny nod, Harry gently placed a finger along the edges of the device with a small frown.

 

Sitting back against the arm of the couch Harry bit his bottom lip in thought. Well now he knew there could be no magic whatsoever around Tony, the man would die in a very painful way.

 

"So....are you _magic_?"

 

Hearing the question Harry raised his eyes in time to see Tony buttoning his shirt up again, looking at him with a glimmer of uncertainty in his brown eyes.

 

Snorting loudly Harry smirked at Tony, "Yes."

 

Brown eyes blinked rapidly before Tony laughed, "Right... Next thing you're gonna tell me is that Santa and the Tooth Fairy are real."

 

Harry sighed and shifted in his seat, getting comfortable for the long explanation that he was about to have.

 

"You can't tell me that you doubt magic is real? Not after everything you've seen?"

 

Seeing that Harry was indeed not joking Tony sat back heavily against the arm he was leaning against with a wide eyed look. "Wait... So you're serious?"

 

"No, I'm Harry." At seeing Tony's blank look Harry sent him a sheepish smile, "Sorry, inside joke."

 

Tony just sent him a bored look before raising an eyebrow, silently demanding for Harry to get on with it.

 

"Demanding little shit," Harry whispered before continuing in a louder voice, deciding that the Statute could go fuck itself.  "Yes I'm serious, magic is real. I'm a wizard and so is Teddy."

 

"Are you two the only ones? Or are there more of you? What can you do? Do you actually need wand? Or is it more like Tolkien and you have staff? How doesn't the government not know about you? Does the government know about you? Have you heard of Shield? What abo-"

 

Harry sent Tony a quelling look, making the genius snap his mouth shut and mimed zipping his lips.

 

"No we are not the only ones, think of it as a second society tucked behind yours, hidden. We have shops and homes and schools and even a government of our own. We stay separate to keep us safe, as well as to protect your technology. If you hadn't noticed, magic and tech don't mix well. The pain in your chest from before is what happens when the two meet. The magic overloads the circuits and causes them to fry, it's why I had to send Teddy to his room to play. I didn't want him to accidentally hurt you, or cause an explosion." At Tony's wide eyes Harry sent him a sheepish smile before continuing on.

 

"So yeah, a few specially selected government officials know about the wizarding world, but mostly we keep to ourselves."

 

Tony stared at Harry trying to decide if this is some kind of elaborate joke or if he was really telling the truth. Seeing nothing but honesty in those green eyes Tony huffed out a weak laugh. "It's really hard to believe. I mean I grew up firmly believing that magic wasn't real and in one afternoon all that has been shattered."

 

Harry nodded at him, smiling gently, "I was the same way. I didn't find out I was a wizard until I turned 11 and received my acceptance letter for school. It never really sunk in though until I bought my first wand."

 

Tony's next laugh was full of excitement in the face of this new challenge. He looked at Harry, face full of eager curiosity. "Would you be willing to help me?"

 

Harry cocked his head to the side slightly, "Help you with what exactly?"

 

"Help me figure out a way to get magic and technology to work together."

 

Smiling brightly Harry nodded, "Yes, please! I'd like to not have to worry about my phone sparking when I summon it."

 

With a smile full of teeth, Tony shot up off the couch mumbling to himself quietly before stopping to whip his phone out. "J, I need you to compile all the data we have on that flyer added with the readings you picked up from here."

 

Harry soon lost interest in Tony's conversation with whoever this 'J' person was and started cleaning up the dishes on the table, taking them to the kitchen to clean later. When he walked back in the living room it was to see Tony staring in confused amusement at the owl sitting on the perch in the corner.

 

"Harry why did an owl come flying _through_ the window? Better yet, _why_ is there an owl in the first place?"

 

Chuckling softly Harry reached for a small container sitting on the mantle and pulled a couple treats, before walking to the owl holding his arm out for the bird to hop onto.

 

"Wizards don't use normal means of communication. We send letters with owls, they are very smart birds; it's one of the reasons they are a symbol for Athena. I have one of the windows charmed for him to come through so I don't have to leave one open all the time."

 

Harry felt a laugh burst from his chest at the look on Tony's face, he looked like an overexcited toddler who was just told he could have dessert before dinner.

 

"May I?"

 

In answer to his question Harry walked closer to Tony and pulled the man's arm up so Loki could hop over. With the owl settled on Tony's forearm Harry handed the genius a couple of the treats.

 

"Here, feed him these and scratch deeply on his chest."

 

Taking the offered treats he held one up watching the bird eat, his smile full of innocent awe. He reached a timid hand up and started scratching at the bird's chest, chuckling when it pushed further into his hand, demanding for Tony to scratch harder.

 

"What's his name?"

 

When Harry didn't answer he turned to look at the Brit, frowning slightly when he noticed the sheepish expression crossing his face.

 

"What is it?"

 

Harry heaved a heavy sigh, "Look we named him before we knew about all the chaos in New York, and that bastard Logan wouldn't explain when Teddy told him the owls name. Fucker just laughed."

 

Tony just raised an eyebrow waiting for Harry to get to the point. Finally it seemed that Harry couldn't stall any longer.

 

"Loki...His name is Loki."

 

Tony blinked then looked at the bird, who was now perched comfortably on his shoulder, before bursting out laughing. Loki squawked at being disturbed from his perch and flew to land on Harry's shoulder, clucking at Tony.

 

"Oh man I wish I could see his face when he learns that he has an owl named after him!"

 

Rolling his eyes Harry reached up and scratched Loki's chest, ignoring when the bird started grooming his hair. Deciding to let Tony get his laughter out, Harry looked up at Loki getting the birds attention. "Would you go keep Teddy company for a bit, please? I can't let him out here with Tony still here."

 

Harry smiled when Loki cooed softly and flew off toward Teddy's room, and Harry's smile grew when he heard the toddler's excited shout.

 

Seeing that Tony finally had his laughter under control he stepped closer. "I'm sorry Tony but I need to start on dinner for the bratling and I'm sure you have things you want to research and test."

 

Snapping to attention Tony nodded and reached a hand out to Harry, "Yeah I do. Do you mind if I stop by tomorrow with some things you can perform magic around. I need to get better readings on the energy without blowing up my lap?"

 

Harry nodded and reached out to grasp Tony's hand, "That's fine just call before you head over. I'll ward the spare room so I can test them in there, since I wouldn't want to hurt you."

 

Tony nodded in agreement and set Harry's number in his phone. "Well Bewitched I'll see you tomorrow."

 

Harry sputtered as he stared at Tony's back, hurrying to catch up to the man. " _Bewitched_! Really!? That's the best you could come up with?"

 

Tony just laughed, turning to wait for Harry at the door. "Yeah. Cause you're all magicy and stuff. It was either that or Willow, ya know, from Buffy."

 

Harry just sighed, knowing already that arguing would be pointless. Sending the man a small smile as he crossed over the threshold into the hallway. He was about to say goodbye again when he heard small feet running up to the door. Turning he bent down and caught Teddy as he launched himself at Harry when he was close enough. Straightening up, he turned back to Tony who had a fond smile on his face as he looked at Teddy.

 

"I wanted to say bye before you left."

 

Tony beamed at Teddy and reached out to run an hand through his hair, "Bye kiddo. I'll see you tomorrow ok?"

 

Teddy giggled and waved as Tony walked to the elevator, "Bye Mr. Tony!"

 

Waving one last time Tony let the door close and take him back to the bottom floor, his mind already thinking on the different things he could try to make this work. It was only when he was halfway back to the tower that he remembered that he forgot to ask Harry about the flyer. _Oh well... I guess that's what tomorrow is for._

 

* * *

 

 

Harry smiled softly to himself as he cooked dinner a little while after Tony had left. He secretly hoped that Tony would become a friend. He was in desperate need for one here in this new city. It was a little lonely at times and as much as he loved Teddy, there were times he needed an adult to talk with. Plating up the quick meal and calling Teddy for dinner, his mind starting working over the different wards he could use to protect the room and keep all the magic restrained.

 

"Daddy, will we see Tony a lot?"

 

Quietly laughing Harry nodded, "Yes Cub. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of Tony. Is that ok with you?"

 

Teddy nodded eagerly, "He tells amazing stories!"

 

"Good. After dinner we'll get you ready for bed and after your bath I'll read you a story."

 

"It rained yesterday and that's like taking a shower."

 

Harry laughed loudly at the grumble from across the table, "Not quite Cub, but if you do this for me I'll make that chocolate fudge cake you like."

 

He knew he shouldn't resort to bribery but hey, if it works why not do it. The happy giggles from across the table let him know it worked.

 

Once Teddy had been put to bed Harry got to work on warding the room. Two hours later, with only half the wards done Harry sighed.

 

_It's gonna be a long night._

  


* * *

 

 

When Tony got back to the tower he was prepared to mostly ignore his housemates and start working on the test robots for Harry. However when he walked into the kitchen to grab coffee, he stopped short at the agent at the table.

 

"Agent, what made you grace us with your presence?"

 

Coulson gave Tony a bland stare before sighing, "Stark I'm here to ask a question. Nothing more."

 

Tony raised an eye at the man, there was no way here was just here for a question. Those can be asked over the phone, or email.

 

"Fury sent me here to ask if you have any more information on the Unknown from the zoo?"

 

Slipping a frustrated look on his face Tony pouted and made sure they heard some slight anger in his voice as well. After all they all knew how much Tony hated not knowing something.

 

"No, I can't find anything on him or the kid with him. None of the searches I'm running have picked up anything. Xavier also said he's not a mutant he knows."

 

Nodding curtly Coulson stood and made his way to the elevator, not saying another word.

 

Slipping past Natasha and Clint, who had walked in at the tail end of the conversation, he headed straight to his lab. He had work to do.

 

Setting his phone on the table, Tony pulled up all the gathered information on Harry, making sure no one could get in the lab. With one final thought Tony set to work on building something that would survive magic.

 

_This is gonna be a long night._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around you wonderful people you. CYBER COOKIES FOR ALL!!!!


	7. When a Birdie Overhears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Tony experiment with magic and tech......and Clint likes the vents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not mine...... It's all for funsies....

Tony stared at the line of small robots in front of him, hoping this would finally bring an end to problem him and Harry were still having. For three months the two had been working on finding a way to merge magic and tech without the resulting explosion. There had been some close calls and Tony was very grateful that Harry had layered the room with all those extra wards. Groaning softly he snatched up the bots and shoved them in a box to bring it over to Harry's.

Walking out of the lab he slowly trekked up the stairs hoping to miss all the other Avengers. Most of them were being beyond nosey about where he always went, he'd even caught Natasha following him more than once. He'd luckily been able to give her the slip before reaching Harry's penthouse. 

He knew he was being a bit childish about keeping Harry a secret, but he never was one for sharing. Eventually he'd let them meet Harry but for now he was keeping this friendship close to his chest. 

He was almost to the elevator when he heard Bruce and Clint coming up the hall toward the kitchen. Tony reached out and pressed the button again silently telling Jarvis to bring the elevator up faster. A relieved smiled slipped on his face when the doors silently opened, allowing him to slip inside. 

He has just pressed the button for the garage when he heard Bruce call out to him.

"Tony, we're going to watch the first Star Trek movies. Steve still hasn't seen them, come watch them with us."

Pressing the button again for the garage Tony sent them both an abashed smile, "Sorry kiddies not today. Got work to do." 

Without waiting for a response Tony sent off a wave as the doors slid closed taking him to his personal garage.

Bruce frowned at the closed doors, "I thought Pepper said he had the day off?"

Clint scoffed loudly, "He does. Nat swears he has a girlfriend or something."

Bruce let out a shocked laugh, "Tony? In a relationship, that's something I'd pay to see."

Sharing a laugh they gathered food and drinks and headed back to the media room, both thinking on Tony's odd behavior these past months.

* * *

Harry smiled as he let Tony in the apartment, giving the man a small hug. "You look like you just snuck out after curfew." 

Tony laughed as he scooped up Teddy after setting the box on the table, "Na it's just I ran into Banner and Barton when I was leaving."

Harry sighed softly and squeezed Tony's shoulder as he passed him, heading to the fridge. "You could just explain to them you're visiting a friend." Setting a plate with two fresh muffins and a cup of coffee in front of Tony, Harry returned to his seat at the table. 

Tony beamed at Harry and set Teddy back on the floor before quickly sitting down to eat. "I don't need to explain everything to them, we're all allowed to have our own lives." 

Emerald eyes glittered with amusement at the pouting note in Tony's voice, _Just like a toddler with a new toy._ Letting Tony eat in peace Harry reached for the box on the table and peeked in, noticing that the new test robots looked quite different. 

"Tony, is this a new material?"

The beaming smile Tony tossed him made Harry laugh and shake his head softly, and he raised a hand stalling whatever the genius was about to say. "Finish your muffins and coffee, then we'll talk."

Nodding quickly Tony set about finishing up the last of his muffin, internally trying to figure out how he could get Harry to pack up some for him to take back to the tower. When the food and coffee were finally finished Tony reached in and pulled out one of the new robots.

"This, my favorite wizard, is a brand new metal alloy for the wiring. I noticed that some of the metals in the wires and circuits handled the magic better than others... so I decided to try a hand at creating a new set of wires." Tony popped open the back of the little machine showing Harry the brand new circuit board and tried explaining how it all blended together.

A muffled yelp slipped passed Tony's lips after Harry slapped a hand over his mouth, glaring teasingly. "Tony I understood _maybe_ 20 of those words... Just hush and let me go try it out." 

Chuckling quietly Tony nodded and watched as Harry snagged 4 of the little bots, setting three of them just outside the door and taking the last one in with him. He had just started explaining to Teddy the different parts on one of the remaining bots when a loud explosion was heard and Harry opened the door to yell out that he was ok. Tony was just about to ask if he was sure when he heard the door close again after Harry had grabbed the second bot.

When Harry still hadn't come out 10 minutes later Tony slowly crept toward the warded door, listening for any sounds of distress. Hearing none he cautiously knocked and called out to Harry. He was just about to knock again when the door flung open, Harry standing there with a bright smile stretched across his face. 

"It took 9 minutes for it to fail, and even then it just stopped working... no explosion or fires. I think I'm getting the hang of this."

Tony beamed at Harry and quickly handed him another bot, "Go try again. Just tweak it a bit."

Nodding eagerly Harry snatched the robot and closed the door again. He set the small bot in the center of the room and slowly pulled out his wand, wanting to be extra careful. Slowly he began casting a ward around the circuitry in it, then gently started adding a few more. He hoped that by delicately layering wards he could protect the tech from any bursts of magic. This new material made it easier but it wasn't reasonable to have it only work on it. He figured once he got the hang of it he could do it on normal electronics as well; well... he hoped so anyways.

After laying the final ward he crept closer and turned the little bot on and smiled widely when it started moving. Taking a step back he leaned against the wall watching closely. When nothing happened for nearly 15 minutes he let out a happy yell and grabbed the toy jogging out to the living room. 

Tony looked up from the book he was reading when he heard the door open again. When he noticed the accomplished smile stretched across Harry's face he hopped off the couch and eagerly waited for the verdict.

Holding up the beeping toy Harry laughed, "Still going strong. I think I got the feel for it."

Letting out a shout of pure joy Tony snagged Harry around the waist and spun him in a small circle, "Awesome! I knew you'd figure something out!"

Harry laughed and smacked Tony on the shoulder, "Let me down you brute, and yes it is amazing."

When he feet were firmly on the ground again Harry set the bot on the coffee table and spun around looking for Teddy. 

Noticing Harry's search Tony chuckled quietly, "He ran off to his room about 10 minutes ago. Kept complaining that it was _boring_." The genius just shook his head slightly with a small pout and looked toward Harry. "I'm not boring am I?"

A loud snort slipped out of Harry as he tried to fight back his laughter, Tony was _anything_ but boring. Letting a fond smile cross his face he shook his head at Tony, "No Tony. You are most definitely **not** boring."

Tony plastered a smug smile on his face as he slightly puffed out in pride, "Damn right gorgeous."

Harry snorted and started walking toward Teddy's room, "Alright _Peacock_ calm your shit."

Knocking softly on Teddy's door he waited until he heard the yelled 'Come in' before pushing the door open, "Hey Bratling, you want to come see the bot now that I'm done?"

Teddy smiled brightly and jumped from the floor where he was playing with a few toys, running past Harry into the living room. By the time Harry joined them Tony had Teddy seated on his lap laughing at Teddy's giggles. Perching on the arm of the couch Harry watched with an amused smile as Teddy pressed each of the buttons, while asking Tony about what they all did.

Harry smiled and reached over tapping Tony on the shoulder, softly getting the man's attention. When he had the focus of both males he shook his head softly. "I'm gonna ward them all and let them run all night, just to be sure."

Tony nodded with a smile and stood bringing Teddy up with him, "Sounds like a plan. Want me to bring anymore?"

Harry cocked his head slightly, nibbling on his bottom lip, "Yeah, but bring me some normal ones as well. I want to get them working too, now that I have the proper spell." Taking Teddy from Tony, Harry sighed and perched the boy on his hip, "I need it to work on already built tech." Slowly he reached out and tapped the arc reactor gently, "It would be too problematic to only have it work on the new alloy, and not everything else.”

A frown worked it’s way on Tony’s face, “Yeah that would a bad thing. I really don’t want to have to rebuild _everything_ just to be able to have a play date.”

Harry rolled his eyes and padded back toward the kitchen, Teddy snuggled in his arms. A small chuckle slipped past his lips at the pout Tony was sporting. Sitting down at the table he focused on the genius once again with a thoughtful expression on his face, nibbling softly on his lip. He was jerked out of his own mind when the chair across from him scraped across the floor, looking up in time to see Tony plop in the chair. 

“I’ll bring you a box tomorrow of some normal ones and if those work out I’ll bring you one of the gauntlets from the suit.” 

Running a hand absently through Teddy’s light blue locks, Harry nodded in agreement. He’d much rather test as much as possible before trying it on Tony’s reactor. The last thing he wanted was to blow up his only friend here. 

Noticing that Harry wasn’t paying attention to him any longer, Tony wandered over to the counter where Harry had left out a plate of blueberry muffins. Snagging one he leaned back against the counter, watching as Teddy snuggled into his Godfather’s arms and Harry nibbled on his bottom lip thinking on god knows what. 

Sighing softly Tony walked to stand next to Harry and tapped him on the shoulder, "Gimmie a hug kid, I need to head back to the tower to get the bots ready for tomorrow."

Blinking rapidly out of his thoughts Harry turned to look at Tony, his brain quickly registering what was said and nodded while standing. Reaching out to hug Tony, Harry handed Teddy over to be cuddled a bit while he went and snagged a box he had hidden away and brought it back over. He followed Tony to the door while the genius still held Teddy closely, running a hand through pale green hair, letting Harry know that it was time for a nap. 

At the door Harry held out the box to Tony who frowned slightly cocking his head. Chuckling Harry just opened the box and showed off the dozen blueberry muffins. Tony gasped in glee and had to fight back dancing like an idiot.

"You take such good care of me Harry. You know you're my favorite right?"

Rolling his eyes Harry handed him the box and gently took Teddy back, smiling lightly at the grumble of being moved from his perch. "Yes Tony I know, now head home and be a genius, I'm gonna settle him for a nap and then charm the remainder of the bots."

Turning to leave Tony waved bye before sharply turning back around halting Harry closing the door, "So are you gonna finally tell me what's on the flyer?" 

Harry leveled bored stare at Tony and shook his head no, "Not until we get this all sorted Tony. Have patience." 

Pouting Tony tried once more to get Harry to cave in only to be met with deep laughed and a loud 'Bye Tony' before the door was shut in his face. Grumbling softly he headed down to the elevator while pulling a muffin from the box and slowly munched the entire way back to the tower.

The moment he stepped foot in the kitchen to grab coffee before heading down to the labs, he was ambushed by everyone else.

"So did you all miss me that much?"

Clint scoffed loudly and tried to make a grab for the box that had a delicious smell coming from it, only to be thwarted by Tony's ninja like reflexes when there was food involved. Glaring harshly he brought his stinging hand closer to his body and moved to hide behind Steve, with a muttered 'Bastard'.

Bruce just shook his head with a small smile and raised a curious eyebrow at the box Tony was guarding, "No we were curious since you tore out of here so quickly...and you passed on a Star Trek marathon so...what's going on Tony?"

Brown eyes narrowed slightly before he heaved a heavy sigh, "Look there are some things that I need to take care of. We're all allowed personal time to spend how we see fit. I want to spend mine elsewhere."

Without another word Tony grabbed a mug of coffee and wandered down to the labs, he had quite a bit to do before attempting sleep. Setting the box of muffins on the work table and plopped heavily in the stool, he let his head drop onto the cool table top and groaned softly, ignoring the sound of the lab doors opening.

"I made lunch early and didn't know if you had eaten yet or not."

Tony lifted his head and looked across at Steve and gave a pained smile, before taking the offered plate of pasta. "Thanks."

Steve just nodded and turned to head back out, "Come watch the rest of the movies with us later if you want."

Tony waited until he was almost out the door before calling out to him, "Steve! Catch!"

Turning quickly Steve caught the object tossed to him and looked up at Tony when he noticed the muffin in his hand.

"Thanks for the food." 

After that quick dismissal Steve stepped out into the hall and took the stairs back up to the communal living room, still staring at the muffin. Shrugging his shoulders he took a small bite and moaned lowly at the flavor of the simple muffin. Taking a larger bite he made it back to the couches just in time for Clint to shove in the next movie in the series. 

"Cap, what are you eating? I don't remember any muffins."

Steve swallowed and turned to look at the archer, "Tony tossed it to me as I was leaving."

Clint blinked and pouted at the muffin still in Steve's hand, "Oi that's not fair! Why do you get a muffin?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and smacked Clint upside the head, "Maybe it's because Steve actually brought him food and didn't try to steal it."

The archer merely waved her off with a pout, "Na we know it's because Stark likes Cap best. We've all read the fan letters."

Steve felt his face heat slightly and tried to ignore the laughter from the others as he at the last bit of muffin. "Say what you will Barton, but just remember... I got the muffin, and it was damn good."

The others had a good laugh at that and settled down to watch the movie, ignoring everything else. Steve couldn't quite focus on the movie as his mind kept drifting to the small smile Tony wore after tossing the muffin, and he couldn't be more grateful that the lights were dim so no one could see the blush still resting on his face.

* * *

Tony whooped with joy loudly when Harry told him that everything was ready to charm his reactor. They had spent the next month testing again making sure there were no delayed reactions on the gauntlet. Tony had even built Harry a smaller arc reactor to test on, knowing that the Brit would want to be extra cautious with his life. Which was something Tony was grateful for but he really wanted to get this done. He couldn't wait to see the magic that Harry could do... and to finally figure out what the fuck that flyer was.

He couldn't stop smiling as Harry sent Teddy to his room telling the small child that he didn't want him out here in case something went wrong. Tony chuckled at the quiet grumble as the three year old wandered back to his room, taking Loki with him. He felt his smile grow when Harry came to stand in front of him with a look of pure concentration on his face, emerald eyes narrowed in focus.

"Okay so I need you to remove your shirt so I can get to the reactor, and Tony... I need you to be still. I can't have my concentration disrupted at all."

Seeing the absolute seriousness in the emerald eyes Tony nodded and took at deep breath, calming himself. When he felt he was ready he slipped his shirt off and nodded to Harry. "Ready when you are Pixie."

Rolling his eyes at the nickname Harry pulled his wand out and pointed it at the arc reactor, calmly starting the chant to protect Tony's _heart_. He kept one hand on Tony's neck, keeping track of the man's heart rate and to help keep him calm. After 10 minutes Harry took a deep breath and stepped away from Tony, looking him over to make sure everything went well.

Tony let out the breath he was holding and reached up to touch the reactor, and glanced at Harry. "Well... it feels fine. I don't feel any different and the arc reactor is still in one piece."

Harry smiled gently at him and nodded, "Good. I want you to stay here for a couple of hours if you can, just to make sure."

The genius nodded and moved to put his shirt back on, but left it unbuttoned so Harry could keep an eye on it. He followed the Brit into the kitchen and sat in one of the chairs as Harry set a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. He smiled when Harry shouted out for Teddy to come back and laughed when the little boy climbed right in his lap.

"So it's almost lunch what would you like to eat?"

Both other males cocked their heads in thought and Harry couldn't stop the laugh that burst out at the sight. He waited while they both turned to each other quietly discussing what sounded good. When neither could come to a decision after nearly ten minutes Harry sighed and turned to look in the fridge to see what they had. Seeing a couple options he turned back to the two at the table that were in the middle of what appeared to be an intense game of rock-paper-scissors.

Green eyes rolled at the two before speaking up, "We have the stuff for chicken fajitas or savory crepes with chicken."

Two pairs of brown eyes snapped to focus on him before going back to talking quietly. Snorting softly Harry pulled out the chicken knowing that was the only meat going to be used. He was almost done slicing it into strips before he heard two voices call out 'Fajitas'. Huffing a quiet 'finally' he set about making lunch for the three of them.

Once everything had been eaten and they all moved to the living room Tony pulled out the flyer and held it up, bringing it to Harry's attention. Tony couldn't help but smile at the groan Harry let out.

"Hey you said once you had the arc reactor protected you'd tell me what this was."

Nodding tiredly Harry reached out to take the flyer whispering a charm to make the words visible to Tony and handed it back to him.

Tony took the flyer in hand and gaped at what he saw. "Olympic Gardens?"

Harry smiled at the disbelief on Tony's face and nodded at the question.

"So wait...There is a whole 'nother zoo inside the Central Park zoo? How do they do that? How does no one notice? What if someone accidently finds the entrance and isn't a wizard? Is this for real?"

Harry laughed loudly at the flow of questions and raised a hand silencing Tony's babble. "Yes there is a separate zoo there as well. It's hidden by magic; muggle repelling charms that slightly confuse a muggle if they aren't with someone magical. The entrance won't activate for a muggle alone. We've been doing this for _centuries_ Tony, we've thought of it all."

Tony just gaped at him before turning back to the flyer, "So what... you have dragons and unicorns and shit there?"

Snorting Harry shook his head, "No dragons I'm afraid. Can you imagine trying to keep a 50ft, 25 ton Hungarian Horntail hidden in the middle of New York? No, but they do have Fire Lizards, they are about the size of a small bird and can breathe fire just like their larger cousins."

Teddy looked up from the floor where he was playing and giggled loudly at Tony's face, before getting up and climbing on the couch next to the gobsmacked genius. He giggled again and reached to poke Tony in the cheek, and laughed loudly when Tony showed no response. Frowning slightly at being ignored Teddy looked to see what had Tony so shocked.

"Ohh the zoo! Can we go Daddy? And take Tony with us?"

Tony snapped to attention and directed his own pout at Harry, silently begging to be taken as well,. He would beg if he had too, on his knees and everything. When he noticed the teasing smile on Harry's face he amped up his pout and shifted until he was on his knees, crawling toward Harry with Teddy following closely behind him.

Huffing a laugh Harry pretended to think about it before finally giving in and nodding at the two in front of him. "Yeah we can go. Tony, when can you take a day off?"

The genius just scoffed and waved Harry's concern away, "I can take off whenever I feel provided there isn't a need for the Avengers."

Nodding again Harry cocked his head to the side in thought debating on what day would be best, "Well, we can go this Friday if that works, it's only 2 days away."

Tony smiled brightly and reached to high five Teddy, laughing loudly when the three year old jumped up happily. Snagging the boy around the waist he stood and bounced him around, delighting in the giggles that were bursting forth, Teddy's hair a bright pink.

Rolling his eyes Harry stood and waved Tony back over so he could check the reactor once more. Finding nothing abnormal Harry let out a relieved smile, "Well I think you're good, but Tony I want you to promise me that you will call me if you feel _anything_ wrong. Even just the slightest bit."

"Yes Mother, I promise," Tony groaned, buttoning his shirt back up before laughing at the smack Harry gave him. Sighing softly he check his watch noticing he needed to get back to the tower so he could finish working on the prototype generator Fury had _requested_.

"Well my lovely Pixie I need to head back so I can finish a few things up before Friday, then it's a date."

"Easy lover boy, you're not my type at all."

Tony gasped in shock laying a hand over his heart giving Harry his best heartbroken pout. "What ever do you mean My One and Only. I thought we had something special?!"

Laughing Harry reached out to take Teddy back and followed Tony to the door, "Oh we do Dear Heart...but alas, you will always have my heart..... just not my libido."

Brown eyes widened before Tony burst out laughing, leaning against the wall. 

Harry smiled at the giggles Teddy was still letting out as he watched Tony heave slightly with laughter. The genius was still letting out little chuckles as he hugged them both goodbye, promising to be here bright and early.

Waving bye Harry wandered back into the apartment smiling brightly at the success as well as the honest joy he felt around Tony. He couldn't be more grateful that Tony and Teddy got along, it made moving to a new place much easier. 

He smiled down at Teddy and gently kissed his forehead, getting a happy smile in return. Harry was halfway to the kitchen when he stopped, biting his lip in thought. He focused again on the little boy perched on his hip and decided he didn't want to stay inside at the moment.

"Teddy, do you want to go to the park?"

Harry had to quickly tighten his hold on the squirming toddler in his arms before he dropped him. He hurried to set the the three year old down and snorted as he watched him dart down the hall towards his room. Figuring that was a yes Harry headed down to his own room to change into jeans and snag his shoes.

When they both were dressed and ready Harry lifted Teddy back into his arms and headed out to the park, both with smiles on their faces.

* * *

* * *

Clint waited silently in the main vent to Tony's lab hoping to catch anything about why he'd been acting odd lately. He was still betting on a woman of some kind...but with how him and Steve had been throwing looks when the other wasn't watching; maybe it was a man.

He shifted slightly in his perch before stilling when he heard the doors to lab open and Tony came walking in with a smile on his face. Clint frowned at the bright smile stretched across Stark's face; he'd never seen him actually look that happy. The archer smiled slightly and figured this was a good way to test the new hearing aids Stark made, he did say that he'd be able to hear a pin drop from a few yards away. Time to see if Stark was full of shit or not.

He quickly snapped back to attention when Tony called out to Jarvis to bring up the satellite images around Central Park Zoo. He cocked his head to the side as he listened to the mumbled words that he couldn't quite understand, Stark wasn't making any sense. 

"Damn it Jarvis, call Harry!"

Blue eyes narrowed at the name, _Who the fuck was Harry?_ Clint startled slightly when a British voice echoed through the room, worry obvious in his voice.

**“Tony? Are you ok? Did something happen to the reactor? Do I need to come see you?"**

Clint's eyes widened slightly at the chuckle and fond smile that stretched across Tony's face. _Who the hell was this Harry to make Stark smile like that?_

"Na Pixie I'm good. I was calling you about something else."

There was a relieved sigh over the speaker before Harry spoke again.

**“Don't worry me like that Tony! I thought it didn't stick and you were on the verge of an explosion!”**

"Sorry My Precious one, I didn't mean to scare you but I wanted to ask you something. So I flew over the zoo in the Iron Man and I didn't see a damn thing. None of the satellites can find anything... How the _hell_ are they doing that?"

There was a quiet chuckle and what sounded like childlike laughter in the background, **“How do you think they do it, Love? It's _magic_..."**

Clint sucked in a harsh breath, _'Magic... What is Stark doing dealing with magic?!'_

He snapped back to Tony pacing around the lab, mumbling about stats and thermal reading of the surrounding area. Clint blocked out the rambled information and focused on the soft laughter coming from Harry. Both he and Tony jumped slightly when they heard a sharp yell.

**“Theodore Remus Smith, you put that down right now! We do NOT eat bugs!”**

Clint was very happy that Tony's loud booming laughter covered the thudding sound his shoulder made when he hit the side of the vent. He stilled immediately hoping that Tony didn't notice the noise. When the man kept on laughing Clint figured he was in the clear.

**“Shut up Tony, he just tried to eat a worm because he likes the gummy ones.”**

This just made the genius laugh harder as he leaned on one of tables. "Oh god, I love that kid."

Harry snorted as he yelled out to his son again to stop trying to put random things in his mouth. **“Tony, you know I love you dearly, but I need to go and rescue those poor bugs from the curious mouth of a three year old. Come by around 9 in the morning so we can head out by 10 to get to the zoo. Bye.”**

Tony echoed the goodbye and focused on his screens showing the area surrounding the zoo, before pouting and shutting them off. "Better get on that prototype so I can play all day Friday." 

Blue eyes watched for a little bit longer before backtracking out of the vent to drop into his own room, thinking on what he had just heard. _Well... I better I make sure I wake up early enough on Friday. I haven't had the option to stalk anyone in awhile. This could be fun._

Plopping down on his bed he let a small smirk work it's way across his face as he thought about being the first to see Stark's new 'friend'. "Heh... Nat's gonna be pissed she missed out on this."


	8. Fun times at the zoo...and a dinner date with friends.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Harry visit the zoo.... and Clint shoves his nose in places it's not wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own a damn thing..... Wheeeeeee

Clint watched Tony as the man shuffled into the kitchen Friday morning, heading right to the coffee pot. He took in the genius’ clothes and noticed that he was at least dressed for a day at the zoo. ...A zoo date that apparently was a family outing. The archer had to smother the chuckle that wanted to slip out when Steve walked in and stopped abruptly and looked Tony up and down. 

The genius was in a pair of dark fitted jeans that rode a little low on his hips and were tucked into a pair of combat boots, his shirt was a dark green and fit a little tighter than normal; but still not enough to bring notice to the reactor. Poor Steve didn’t stand a chance. Cap quickly got himself under control and walked to the table and almost collapsing in the chair. This time Clint couldn’t help the snicker that slipped out, and the glare Cap threw his way only made him laugh harder. 

“What bug got up your ass? It’s too early for your shit Clint.” 

Clint raised an eyebrow at Tony and just shrugged, “Nothing Stark….nothing at all.”

Tony narrowed his eyes before deciding he just didn’t care, why had he agreed to meet Harry so damn early? Oh right….. _Magical Zoo_! The moment he remembered Tony’s face broke into a huge grin and he hurried off to grab his jacket; never noticing the way Clint’s eyes narrowed. 

Shrugging his jacket on Tony sent a cheeky wave over his shoulder and headed straight for the elevator. He really had no desire to hang about here waiting for the time to meet up, when he could just head over there and get better coffee. Not to mention the company there was a might bit better than what was here. 

Clint wasted no time running to the stairwell and taking them two at a time down, he needed to beat Tony to the bottom floor. He had just stepped out the stairwell when the elevator opened letting Tony walk out. The archer frowned slightly when he noticed Stark head right out the doors and not toward the garage. Wherever he was heading was either very close or he had a car waiting for him. 

Luck it seems was on his side as Tony continued on down the sidewalk, headed north. Throughout tailing Tony he had to hide in some creative places to not be seen and 3 times or so Clint almost lost sight the man. _Crap, he’s getting better at dodging Nat and I._

It took them 10 minutes to reach the fancy apartment high rise and Clint was honestly thankful they finally reached wherever they were headed. He let Stark go in first and then slipped in with a woman when he offered to carry her bags into the elevator for her. Clint then hid off to the side and waited for Stark to come back down and given what he heard on that phone call two days ago, he was in for at least an hour wait.

* * *

Harry looked up when Tony walked in the apartment and he smiled brightly at the man. He quickly made his way over and pulled him into a hug, moving quickly out of the way when he heard Teddy running down the hall. 

“Tony!”

Tony laughed loudly and knelt down to pull Teddy into a hug and lifted the small boy into his arms, perching the toddler on his hip. He heard Harry laugh off to the side and smiled brightly at the Brit. When Harry waved him into the kitchen he followed along gladly and dropped into the chair he normally sat in. Tony made a happy noise in the back of his throat when Harry put a fresh mug of coffee in front of him. Wrapping one arm around Teddy keeping him on his lap Tony quickly snatched up the mug, sighing happily.

“You and your coffee….It’s almost obscene.”

Tony chuckled softly and downed the rest of the coffee before holding the mug out with a pout firmly on his face. He smiled when Harry just rolled his eyes and went to pour him another mug and placed a plate of food down in front of him. Shifting the three year old on his lap slightly Tony reached to eat his food one handed, not wanting to put Teddy down just yet. He wanted more time to snuggle with one of his favorite people. 

At the stove Harry smiled softly at the picture the two made and he was grateful that Tony had dropped into that chair across from him all those months ago. Shaking his head to clear it, Harry plated up food for Teddy and put it in front of the little boy, not wanting to take him away from Tony just yet. Harry sat himself down with his own breakfast and looked over Tony, noticing that the man was more jumpy than normal. 

“What’s the matter Tony? You’re very twitchy.” 

Tony sighed softly and took a sip of his coffee, “Mostly I’m excited about the zoo and spending the day with you guys, but…”

When it looked like Tony had slipped off into his own world again Harry softly prompted him, “But… Tony what is it? Are you ok?”

The genius smiled at Harry and nodded, “Yeah I’m fine. It’s nothing like that. I just think I saw Barton following me and I think I gave him the slip but who knows.”

Harry chuckled softly and shook his head. The Brit reached over and gently took one of Tony’s hands into his, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. He couldn’t help but smiled wider when Tony pouted, but didn’t take his hand away; the other arm still firmly around Teddy.

“Tony… deny it all you want but they are your friends and they are going to be curious when you constantly sneak out to visit someone. Again…. you could just tell them.”

Tony continued to pout as he nuzzled his face into Teddy’s hair, “Yeah yeah… but you’re my friend.”

Green eyes softened and clenched the hand he was holding tighter. “Love I will always be your friend, that will never change. And Teddy will always be your friend, he loves you dearly and he asks about you almost everyday.”

Tilting his head slightly to look at Harry, Tony’s pout lessened. “Yeah I know. I’ll tell them… just not right now.”

Nodding in agreement Harry gave Tony’s hand a final squeeze before standing and playfully snatching Teddy from the American’s grasp. “Come now my little minion, we need to get you washed up and dressed to head out.”

Teddy gave an excited gasp and wriggled to be put down. The moment tiny bare feet touched the ground the toddler darted off to his room, leaving Harry and Tony alone in the kitchen. Shaking his head fondly Harry turned back to Tony and pointed at his own sleep clothes, letting Tony know where he was going. 

Less than 10 minutes later the trio were dressed and ready for a day at the zoo. Seeing no point in waiting any longer they decided to head out early, which made Teddy happy and the little boy was bouncing on his toes between the two adults. 

“Come on, we need to head to the car park next door. We’ll take my car.” 

Tony nodded reaching down to pick up Teddy and frowned slightly when he noticed that the child’s hair was staying one color. “You know I never asked ‘cause we hardly leave here… but how do you get his hair to stay one color?”

Giggling, Teddy held his arm up so Tony could see the bracelet clasped on his wrist. Tony reached out and touched the bracelet, feeling the magic running through it. Brown eyes looked up in question and Harry laughed. 

“The bracelet has runes and charms on it to keep him locked in a color. It saved the features he was wearing the first time I put it on him. But this way he doesn’t have to worry about keeping his hair black.”

Tony nodded as Harry pressed the button on the elevator, “That’s pretty cool, that the first one you made?”

Leaning back against the wall Harry cocked his head to the side slightly, “It’s the first one for Teddy like that but it’s not the first piece of jewelry I’ve for someone with powers they need help with.”

Cocking his head to the side Tony just watched as Harry leaned against the wall of the elevator before Teddy poked him in the cheek to get his attention. He quickly forgot about the slightly wistful expression on his Brit’s face and got into an intense discussion on the animals at the zoo. 

Soon enough they were all leaving the elevator and heading out to the street and toward the car park next to the building. Tony still didn’t understand why Harry refused to park in the underground lot and he wasn’t going to push Harry to tell him, he would when he wanted too.

Once Teddy was strapped into his carseat and the two adults were buckled up Harry started the car and headed out toward the zoo. The emerald eyed man couldn’t help the bright smile and laughed that bust out when Tony and Teddy continued their conversation about animals, both just babbling away.

* * *

Clint jerked slightly when he heard Tony’s laughter and looked to check his watch, apparently they decided to leave sooner than planned. Quietly leaving his hiding spot he followed along behind them and frowned when he saw them head toward the car park. 

The archer reached up to smack himself on the head, honestly how could he have not taken into account that they might use this ‘Harry’s’ car? Grumbling softly to himself he ran through all his options, he really need to make it there before they did or he’d lose them for sure. Biting his bottom lip he looked around the street and couldn’t help but smile when he found his answer sitting across the road. Darting across the street he walked up to the teenager leaning against a tree, a bike leaning next to him.

“Hey kid, sell me your bike?”

The teen looked up and him and Clint couldn’t help but smile when he saw the kid’s eyes widen. At one time he would have been pissed at being recognized so easily but at the moment he was kind of grateful. His smiled widened a bit when the boy just nodded and grabbed the handle of the bike and held it out toward the archer. Clint quickly reached for his wallet and pulled out two hundred dollar bills and passed them over before hopping on the bike and shot off down the road. He really needed to reach the zoo first.

Jumping off the bike he left it where it fell and hustled toward the ticket counter to get in as soon as possible to find a good place to hide out and wait. Smiling kindly at the girl behind the counter he quickly paid and ran inside, spotting a tree that would provide good covering and let him see the entrance clearly. First though he ran into the gift shop and bought a hat, figuring it would help him blend in just a bit more. When he was back outside he made his way over to the tree he had spotted earlier and jumped up on the branches getting situated and got comfortable prepared to wait it out a bit.

Not even 10 minutes later he spotted Tony walking in with the kid perched on his shoulders and Harry walking closely to him. Surprisingly the three looked like a happy little family and it was more shocking to hear Stark laugh so freely without it being at someone else’s expense.

He waited for them to pass before he dropped down and quietly began his stalking. The trio didn’t seem to be stopping at any of the exhibits and headed straight toward the children’s section of the zoo, which wasn’t all that strange he supposed; they did have a kid with them. Clint jerked to the side to hide behind a food vender just in time for Tony to turn around, eyes narrowed as he looked around the area.

“Tony? Is something wrong?”

He saw Stark frown and turn back to Harry and leaned down to whisper something quietly. Clint cocked his head in confusion when Harry just laughed and rested a hand softly on Stark’s arm. The smaller man raised himself on his toes to whisper back in Stark’s ear and laughed softly when the genius barked out a laugh. Clint pouted when he couldn’t hear what was being said, his new hearing aids were good...but not that good.

He kept back a bit longer once they started walking again and frowned again when he saw them walk into the building for the children’s section. He’d have to be even more cautious now because of the slightly cramped space in this place, but he was awesome enough that it would work. 

He followed them to the small aquatic section toward the back and frowned when he saw them walk into a room labeled for employees only and shut the door behind. Knowing that there was no other place for them to exit he moved to the side of the door where he could watch for them to come back out, but they wouldn’t be able to see him. 

The archer frowned when after 15 minutes they still hadn’t come back out. He looked up and down the hall, making sure no one was watching him and stepped toward the door. He nibbled his lip lightly internally debating whether or not it was worth the risk to open the door. Shrugging lightly he decided to open the door figuring that he’d blackmail his way into staying with them anyways. 

Slowly he pushed the open a bit and listened for anything on the other side, and narrowed his eyes at the unexpected silence. Pushing the door open all the way he stepped in and only saw the filtration systems for the tanks and nothing else. The trio was nowhere to be seen…

_What the fuck...where the hell did they go?_

* * *

Harry laughed quietly at Tony when the man frowned as they walked into the filtration room. He ignore the questioning glance the man sent his way and gently reached up to remove Teddy from Tony’s shoulders and put him on the ground. He motioned for the two to follow him toward the back wall where the emergency exit sign was posted, and pulled his wand out. 

Turning to look at Tony he sent the man a sly smile, “Teddy take Tony’s hand and Tony grab mine. You need to trust me and just follow when I lead, okay?”

Tony just looked at him for a moment before nodding and taking the offered hands, watching to see what Harry was going to do. When the man just tapped his wand against the sign and started walking toward the wall Tony had a moment of panic before just following along. He clenched his eyes shut out of habit and shivered slightly when he felt the barometric pressure spike for an instant then release. He snapped his eyes open when he heard Teddy giggle while tugging on his hand and he felt his jaw drop.

In front of them was a beautiful iron archway covered in flowering vines gently swaying in the wind while the letters on the sign for the zoo were being held up by the strangest little potato like creatures. Tony blinked in shock as the little being holding the ‘P’ started waving at Teddy eagerly and almost toppled over before righting itself and carried on waving. He turned to look at Harry eagerly, clearly expecting an explanation.

Laughing quietly Harry tugged on Tony’s hand to get him walking, smiling fondly when the American immediately picked Teddy up one handed, perching him on his hip.

“They’re gnomes and can be nasty little buggers if you try to remove them from their gardens.”

Tony laughed excitedly as they passed through the arch and stopped in his tracks when he heard a soft giggling that wasn’t coming from Teddy. Looking at Harry in surprise he couldn’t keep the shock out of his voice in his next question. 

“Harry… Are those flowers… giggling?”

Laughing again Harry nodded, “Yeah...Giggling Gardenias”

Tony laughed in pure delight, his hand tightening slightly around Harry’s, “Well Sweet One… Lead the way.”

Harry chuckled and pulled gently on Tony’s hand, leading him toward the small ticket counter ignoring the gobsmacked expression the American wore. He paid the teen and grabbed a map before pulling Tony on, intent on showing the man a good time here. Stopping off to the side he let go of the hand he was still holding to look over all the sections trying to decide where to head first.

Harry turned to look at the two next to him and just decided ask their opinion on the matter, “So where would you like to head to first?”

The american leaned over to peek at the map, adjusting Teddy so he could see it as well, and looked at all the areas listed. There was a description off to the side of the different areas of the zoo, and he raised an eyebrow at the description of all the sections.

**AQUAS - _Amazingly Quirky Underwater Animal Swamp_**

**TERRA - _Terrifically Entertaining Roving Range Area_**

**OTHER - _Obscure Things Hardly Ever Recorded_**

**MUERTAS - _Many Uncomfortable Entities Remaining Terrible And Scary_**

**PAZ - _Particularly Amicable Zoobeasts_**

“Wizards love their acronyms don’t they?”

Harry laughed quietly and nodded, “Yes… they do. Why don’t we head to the Aquas section since it’s the closest?”

Getting a nod from both of them Harry reached out to snag Tony’s hand again, dragging him toward the water exhibits. He smiled when Tony squeezed his hand tightly and started babbling at Teddy who was just as excited. It was nice to see the Tony smile to easily considering the man’s job and the stress he was normally under. 

The trio made their way toward the water beasts chattering the entire time. By the time they reached the enclosure hosting the grindylows, Teddy wiggled to be put down but kept his hand firmly in Tony’s. The genius was amazed at the sight of the tiny little creatures with bone like fingers and Harry was happy to tell the man all that he knew about them. 

This trend continued all through the Aquas animals, the kappa and hippocamp only able to keep his attention for so long. Soon they were heading to the Terra section and Tony was bouncing on the balls of his feet, eager to see what else was here.

Walking up the first enclosure Tony stopped dead in his tracks, staring straight ahead at the small herd of Pegasus walking around. He took a small step forward and laughed delightedly. He couldn’t help but run a critical eye over the beasts, wondering slightly how they were able to fly when their wingspan was far too small for how large the body was. He smiled brightly when the answer came to him almost immediately… It’s magic.

They continued on and Tony was completely enraptured by Harry’s voice as the Brit kept up a running commentary on everything they passed. Explaining all about the kitsunes, jackalopes, pixies, and hippogriffs. His favorites by far in this section were the pack of seven or so griffins that were flying around playing with each other like an actual lion pack would, and the single cerberus the zoo had. Tony was slightly gobsmacked at the sight and his laugher was bordering on hysterical. He just turned to look at Harry who had Teddy perched on his hip, letting the little boy rest for a bit.

Seeing the look Harry just laughed quietly, “Yes Tony… even they are real. I met another one when I was eleven at my school. His name was Fluffy.”

Tony had just shaken his head and motioned for Harry to lead on, who did with a chuckle and led them onto the Other area. This was another area Tony was excited about. He always did like rare and unique things, maybe that would explain his sudden interest in all things Steve Rogers… Captain America is indeed one of a kind. Tony blinked at the odd direction his thoughts went and shook his head out slightly.

“Tony? Are you ok? Do you want to take a break?”

Turning to look at the man who was rapidly becoming his best friend _(Sorry Rhodey)_ and smiled, “Yeah Pixie, I’m alright. My brain just took a scary turn.”

Laughing softly Harry nodded but Tony recognized the look in those emerald eyes, Harry would bring it up again and would be expecting a honest answer. Giving a sharp nod he silently let Harry know he understood and they would talk about it later. 

Giving the man’s arm a comforting squeeze Harry continued leading them on and stopped in front of a large area with a small smile. Coming to stand next to Harry and peer inside Tony gave a happy laugh and looked at the smaller male next to him in question.

“These are the fire lizards I told you about.”

The three meandered away shortly and they came to stop in front of large area covered in trees. He looked around trying to spot anything before snapping his head toward Harry when the man and Teddy both gasped. Following Harry’s line of sight Tony quickly saw what had them in shock. 

There perched on one of the branches a little bit farther back was a pair of phoenix's, softly preening each other. He turned to look at Harry for information because all the lore about the fiery birds stated that they couldn’t be caged or kept against their will.

Quietly Harry spoke as if he was trying not to disturb the beautiful birds, “The plaque there says that these two came here of their own free will. While the zoo was building this section they came back one morning and saw them resting on one of the branches. They had no desire to disturb them so construction was halted until these two decide to move move on.”

Tony blinked and turned back to the birds still preening and smiled softly. They truly were breathtaking. He noticed even little Teddy looking on in awe as a tiny hand reached out toward the birds. 

After they each had their fill of watching the two they returned on their trip and slowly made their way toward the Muertas. Walking in the area set Tony a bit on edge, as if the air was charged darker. He subtly shifted closer to Harry, not being able to help that instinctive reaction. He noticed that even Teddy had shifted closer to his father, reaching a small hand up to grasp Harry’s shirt. 

Without batting an eye Harry tightened his grip on the small boy in his arms and reached out to snag Tony, easily linking their arms together. Tony just snorted slightly and followed along to wherever Harry was dragging him. The quickly passed through the areas holding the acromantula and chimera, not wanting to stand around those too long.

However right before leaving the area they stopped at enclosure that was housing a herd of the creepiest looking horses Tony had ever seen. They were thin almost skeletal in appearance, and had large leathery bat like wings folded along their backs.

“What are they?”

Harry looked at Tony sadly realizing that the man could see the thestrals, though he really shouldn’t be surprised considering what the man did for a living. 

“Thestrals… they can only be seen by people who have seen death. It’s why Teddy’s not paying attention anymore. He can’t see them.”

Tony frowned and looked down at Teddy, the little boy was resting his head on his dad’s shoulder while gently playing with the collar of Harry’s shirt. Brown eyes softened and Tony gently ran his hands through Teddy’s hair, chuckling quietly at the sleepy smile it produced. Looking back at the skeletal horses he stared at them until he felt a tiny hand reach out to take his. Turning he smiled brightly at the sleepy smile still directed at him and slid his arms around Teddy hoisting him out of Harry’s arms and into his own. 

Harry rolled his eyes and looked back in the paddock and smiled sadly, those poor animals catching a bad rep just because you needed a certain qualification to see them. In many ways they were beautiful creatures and he’s both saddened and overjoyed that more people couldn’t see them. 

Sighing again Harry turned and snagged Tony’s arm leading him out of the area… he needed to get out of this area. 

The trio made their way out toward the final area, the Paz area. As they got closer to the area Tony had to keep a tighter grip on the tiny body in his arms as Teddy wiggled excitedly in his arms. Soon enough Teddy was on the ground between the two, each of his hands holding tightly onto Harry’s and Tony’s hands. The moment they crossed into the kid friendly area Teddy dropped their hands and started bouncing around excitedly, trying to decide where to head to first.

Harry grinned widely when Teddy ran back up to them, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Daddy, can we go see the Unicorns first?”

Laughing slightly at Tony bouncing along with Teddy, Harry nodded at them. “Yeah go ahead.” 

Tony followed eagerly and stopped dead in his tracks when the area around him flashed red. He turned to look at Harry who just shrugged and looked at the Zoo worker walking up to them with a sheepish expression.

“I’m really sorry Sir, but I can’t let you in there with the unicorns.”

Tony just raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Harry with a question clear in his eyes.

Smiling Harry stepped closer and spoke lowly to Tony, “Unicorns are attracted _pure beings_ Tony, they won’t come near someone as learned as you are. In fact you might actually scare them.”

Tony pouted but stepped back to lean against the wall across from the unicorns, arms crossed over his chest, watching Teddy walk up to a foal. He absent mindedly heard the worker speak to Harry and started paying attention. 

“Sir are you sure you don’t even want to try to get through?”

Harry just laughed and waved them on, “There’d be no point in me trying, I’ll just wait over here by Tony. Thank you though.”

The American draped an arm over Harry’s shoulders, tugging the Brit closer to him. “Why don’t you want to try?”

“Because Tony I know the ward would flare red if I tried to walk through it. So we’ll stand here while we watch as Teddy gets to pet the unicorns.”

Pouting again Tony watched as Teddy ran a soft hand through a pure gold mane, while he tried to ignore Harry’s chuckles from beside him. It wasn’t long before Teddy got bored and ran back over, raising his arms above his head silently asking to be picked up. They let Teddy pick where he wanted to head each time and soon Tony had lost his pout, back to smiling brightly.

A childlike smiled stayed firm on Tony’s face as he stayed with Teddy and got to pet the other friendly animals in the area. Though he complained that kneazles just looked like normal cats he still didn’t turn down the chance to pet the animals. Harry couldn't help but smile at the joy he could see from both of his boys, and came to stand by them acting as tour guide and telling them all the information he had on the animal.

Teddy soon got bored and grabbed Tony’s hand again dragging him off to see the crups and surprisingly the man loved the little excitable puppies. Harry again spoke quietly behind, telling both about the lore around the crups and he dutifully ignored the pout both were wearing silently asking for one as a pet. Instead of answering the older Brit just walked off and headed toward a large water tank off to the side of the area. 

Tony and Teddy followed along behind them pouting slightly but both quickly perked up when they saw the animal in the tank. Tony’s jaw dropped at the sight of the small creature. It was roughly the size of a small child and had the front half of a goat, while the back was the tail of a fish. Tony absently felt Harry come stand directly next to him and gently place a hand on his arm. Looking at Harry he just laughed, would this place never cease to amaze him?

“It’s a Capricorn goat, or a Sea Goat depending on who you ask. There are a couple legends about where they came from. Would you like to hear them?”

Tony nodded eagerly and turned back to the dozing creature in the tank, when he felt Teddy tug on his arm he bent to pick the child up so he could hear the story while looking as well.

“Well...The sea goat is often referred to as the 'Capricorn goat' because of its association with the Capricorn zodiac sign. Some believe the image of the sea goat comes from the story of Typhon, the king of monsters. They attribute the image to the god Pan, a satyr, who jumped into the river to flee Typhon's assault on the gods.  
Others say that there was a separate figure named Aegipan, who was the sea goat of the Capricorn legend. There are no real conclusive clues as to where this mysterious god came from or where else he is referenced.  
Another is that the sea goats came from the first sea goat, Pricus, who was created by the god Chronos. The legend goes that eventually all the sea goats made their way inevitably to land where they became the four-legged goats that we know today, leaving Pricus as the sole sea goat and the figure in Capricorn mythology.”{1}

By the time Harry was finished speaking there was a small crowd around him, listening to every word spoken. The British man blushed deeply and turned to hide his face in Teddy’s hair, swatting Tony when the man just laughed. Seeing the actual embarrassed look on Harry’s face, Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulder and started ushering them out of the area. 

Harry eagerly allowed Tony to lead him out and away from the crowd, face flamed. He followed Tony as they walked to the gift shop and Harry smiled brightly, putting the whole incident behind him. Tony smiled when he saw the Bit smile and internally patted himself on the back for getting Harry over his embarrassment; at least for the moment. That last thing he wanted was for Harry to have any doubts or regrets about this trip… and that included being embarrassed over having people listen intently as he spoke.

The trip to the gift shop was only mildly chaotic but Harry still breathed a sigh of relief as they were leaving. Both Teddy and Tony had wanted everything they could get their hands on and Harry had to put his foot down numerous times. With Teddy it was easy, the three year old was surprisingly agreeing when he was told no; it was Tony that was the real problem. Harry had to repeatedly remind him that he lived in a large tower where everyone was always in everyone's business. Tony had still wanted a waist high stuffed moving griffin and it wasn’t until Harry reminded him that he could get the Brit into serious trouble if anyone managed to see it. Tony was quick to agree after that. However Harry did buy him a palm sized moving phoenix, griffin and cerberus, that quickly shut the man up.

Purchases made the trio headed back out through the iron arch and made their way back into the Central Park Zoo. Tony cracked the door that lead out to the main zoo and motioned Harry and Teddy through the door when he noticed the coast was clear. 

The three walked casually walked the way to the exit of the zoo and made their way back to Harry’s car. Once they were all situated in the car Harry started it up and headed back out onto the road.

“So am I taking taking you back to the tower or did you want to come back to mine?”

Tony snorted and leaned back, turning his head to look at Harry, “Yeah...what do you think?”

Laughing quietly Harry shook head and took the exit that would head toward his place. The ride was filled with quiet conversation, all of their moods relaxed and pleasant. Reaching Harry’s apartment they all filed out after parking and headed straight up to the penthouse, Teddy snuggled deeply into Tony’s arms. The remainder of the evening was spent just spending time together and Tony asking whatever questions he could think of.

* * *

After dinner Tony left to head back to the tower intending on working on a few projects he had in the lab. He had just locked the doors behind him when he heard the vent open and the sound of boots hit the ground. Tony grabbed the soldering gun clearing intending to wait for Clint to start the conversation.

“So when are you going to tell Steve you’re dating a man with a kid.”

The sound of the soldering gun echoed loudly in the lab as Tony stiffened. He clenched his hands tightly and took a deep breath to calm his heart and not snap at the archer. When he felt himself calm a little bit he turned to look Clint in the eyes, leaning back against the table nearest him.

“Jarvis, activate Operation: Net the Bird.”

Clint frowned at the voiced command and jumped slightly when the sound of metal slamming down rang throughout the room.

“What the hell was that Stark?”

Smirking slightly Tony crossed his arms over his chest, “That, Legolas, was the sound of every vent closing off and the lab door locking down… leaving you trapped.”

Narrowing his eyes Clint took a few steps forward coming to stand in front of Stark, his jaw clenched tight. “Any why…. pray tell, do you feel the need to lock me down?”

Tony narrowed his own eyes and glared at Barton, “Because you little shit! I knew someone was following us and I figured something like this would happen. So you and I are going to talk and I’m not letting you out until I’m satisfied.”

Clint just sighed and hopped up on the table looking Stark over, “Fine I’ll just get my questions out there shall I?”

Tony just waved a hand indicating Clint to continue.

“So when did you meet?”

“Unofficially the day those aliens attacked the zoo. Officially a week after that. I cornered him in a cafe and we talked, that’s where I’ve been going every time you all ask.”

Clint frowned and looked thoughtful, “When did y’all start dating?”

The archer was startled slightly when Tony started laughing and shook his head.

“We’re not Barton. Harry and I are just friends.”

Grumbling slightly under his breath Clint watched Tony closely looking for any deceit, and when he found none he let out a soft _huh_.

“Why haven’t we met him yet?”

Clint was surprised when Stark sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, “Because Barton I didn’t want you all to meet him yet. Well, that and there was something we had to work out first.”

Raising an eyebrow Clint waited to see if Tony would elaborate and pouted when nothing came, figuring he was already pushing the man’s patience he backed off. Nibbling on his lip he tried to figure out how to bring up the next part, finally just deciding to go for broke and blurt it out.

“Well that’s not gonna work for me Stark. How about this… I’ll keep it quiet if you let me meet him. Or I can tell Tasha.”

Brown eyes widened and Tony picked up the closest thing to him, which happened to be a small mallet, and threw it at the smugly grinning archer. “You little shit. You’re really gonna blackmail the your landlord?!”

When Clint just nodded Tony flipped him off and called for Jarvis to call Harry. “You keep quiet Birdbrain.”

Nodding Clint smiled and waited calmly for Harry to answer the phone.

_”Hello Love, did you really miss me that much?”_

Even as annoyed as he was a Barton, Tony couldn’t help but smile brightly, “You know me honeybun, I just had to hear your voice again.”

A soft laugh filled the lab and even Clint couldn’t help but smile, _”You flatter you. What did you need, my sweet?”_

Tony sighed softly, “Well I’m being blackmailed to have you meet someone.”

_”Blackmail… well that’s a bit rude. Who is it Tony?”_

“Barton, the archer I told you about. He wants to meet you and Teddy.”

A quiet hmm was heard before Harry went silent for a moment, _”Well, Teddy’s birthday is in a few days and I know you promised to come see him the day before, bring him then.”_

Clint blinked and sent a cautious look toward Tony who was smirking.

“Oh my lovely Pixie, that is a wonderful idea! I’ll make sure he brings a gift as well.”

More laughter was heard and Clint pouted softly, _”Fantastic. I’ll let Teddy know he’ll have another guest at his small party before the big one at the manor.”_

Tony laughed again quickly saying ‘bye’ before Barton could say anything and smirked at the man again after Harry had hung up. Clint just sighed and looked at Tony expectedly, waiting for him to explain.

“He’ll be turning four so make sure you get something a kid would like. Make it something fun and Teddy will adore you.”

Clint nodded, already thinking on the different things he could get for a toddler; this may be harder than he thought. Hopping off the table he strode toward the door and looked over he shoulder silently asking for Stark to open the doors. When the quiet order was given he slipped out of the lab and went straight to his room, plopping on his bed. Grabbing his laptop he started searching different things to get little boys. 

After about an hour of searching he decided to just head out to the closest toy store to see what he could find. Wandering up and down the aisles he finally found something to get the kid, and smiled. _This could work… I just hope he likes it._

* * *

* * *

Three days later Clint was following Tony back to Harry’s to finally meet the man and his kid. He was a bit nervous to be completely honest. He didn’t normally interact with children and he didn’t want to piss off anyone, at least not yet. He stepped behind Tony in the elevator and raised an eyebrow when Stark hit the button for the penthouse.

Stepping out of the elevator the two walked to the door and Tony just pulled out a key and walked in yelling out a ‘Hello’. Clint followed at a slightly slower pace, closing the door behind him and looking around at all he could see. The whole place was clean and minimal in decoration, just photos scattered about and what appeared to be a bird perch in the corner.

“Hello Love, how are you?”

Clint startled at the soothing British voice and his eyes widened when Harry stepped up to Tony to pull the man into a hug. He had seen the man before but he never got this close to see him straight on, and he couldn’t help notice how adorable the Brit was. He wasn’t a typical beauty by any means but he was still stunning in his own way, and he had the most amazing green eyes. The archer was so lost in thought that he startled slightly when a pleasant voice spoke right in front of him.

“Hello, you must be Mr. Barton. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Clint nodded absently and shook the offered hand with a small smile, “Thanks for letting me tag along, and please...just Clint.”

Harry smiled back at him and nodded, “Please come in. Teddy is just washing up for dinner.”

The archer blinked in surprise when Tony started bouncing on the balls of his feet with a huge smile. The man just walked past Harry and headed right to the kitchen and let out a happy shout at the food placed on the table. Following Harry into the room, Clint took a deep breath and his stomach took that moment to growl loudly causing a small flush to cross his face.

Tony turned and smirked at Barton, “Hungry?”

Narrowing his eyes slightly he just glared at Stark, fully prepared to snark back at the man but his chance was taken away when he heard the sound of small feet running down the hall. Clint felt his jaw drop slightly when the little boy ran straight for Tony and leapt into the man’s open arms, hugging him tightly. The archer turned to Harry when he heard the man laugh quietly and raised his eyebrow.

“Teddy has that effect on a lot of people, he’s a happy child and it’s infectious.” Clint just smiled slightly as Harry turned to the two still snuggling slightly and called for Teddy to come closer.

“Teddy, this is Clint Barton. He’s a friend of Tony’s and wanted to come meet us and say Happy Birthday.”

Clint smiled as the little boy turned to him with a bright smile and came to stand in front of him, holding a tiny hand out. Kneeling down Clint reached out and shook the small hand, “Hello Teddy, Happy Birthday and you can just call me Clint.”

Giggling happily Teddy nodded and held his arms out, silently asking to be picked up. Looking quickly to Harry to see if it was ok, he smiled when the Brit nodded. Setting the gift on the floor, Clint reached out and picked the toddler up and stood, holding him close to his chest. He couldn’t help the fond smile that stretched across his face as Teddy gently clenched a small hand in his shirt.

“Soon Barton he’s gonna have you wrapped around his tiny little finger.”

Clint snorted softly but didn’t disagree with Tony’s statement. He carried the child over to the table and sat down, keeping Teddy in his lap watching as he played with a small bracelet on his wrist. Clint noticed that it only had a thin etched on it, wondering slightly what the symbol meant.

Harry started fixing a plate for everyone while Clint kept Teddy occupied and cast a quick look at Tony. He noticed that Tony was watching him as well and he subtly motioned for the man to come closer. When the genius was closer he turned to quietly whisper to him.

“Does he know anything about magic?”

Tony shook his head no, “Na, I didn’t tell him anything and I don’t think he saw anything the other day.” 

Harry nodded gratefully, he was fine with Tony knowing but he wanted to wait on anyone else finding out. That was mostly due to the urge to protect Teddy more than anything. 

Once dinner was served Clint gently put Teddy in the chair Harry indicated too. The meal passed easily, and conversation flowed fluently with no problems. Clint seemed to fit right in with his snarky sense of humor and Teddy adored the stories the man told. Harry enjoyed the added company, not that he didn’t enjoy his time with Tony, but sometimes it was good to add another person into the small circle of friends. And he was hoping that Clint would become a friend soon enough.

As soon as dinner was finished they all moved to the living room so Teddy could open the presents the two brought with them. Tony moved to grab the large box he brought with him and placed it in front of Teddy with a huge grin.

“Here open mine first kiddo.”

Teddy gasped happily and pounced on the offered gift and ripped the paper off, tearing the box open. A loud excited yelp slipped out of the three year old as he pulled out a scooter and set it on the ground. He looked to Tony wanting an explanation on what exactly it was. 

Seeing the look Tony kneeled next to Teddy and placed a hand on the handles. “This is an amazing scooter I built for my favorite four year old. It’s self balancing so you don’t have to worry about it falling over on you. There are small mp3 and speakers on it so you can add music to it while you ride around.”

Turning to Harry he spoke quietly while Teddy excitedly looked over his present. “I made it as safe as I could and there is a helmet and pads in the box as well.”

Smiling gratefully at Tony, Harry then turned to Teddy. “What do we say now?”

Beaming Teddy pounced on Tony, hugging him tightly, “Thank you Tony! I love it!”

Grinning he hugged the small body to his chest, “You’re welcome Teddy. I’m glad you like it.”

Nodding eagerly he tightened small arms around Tony’s neck, mumbling thank you over and over again. 

Rolling his eyes Harry reached and placed the scooter back in the box to put in Teddy’s room later and ran long fingers through the boy’s black hair. 

“You still have another gift Teddy, or are you happy with just what Tony gave you?”

Teddy gasped and crawled slowly toward Harry, reaching out to grab his dad’s hands, “No! I want the other one too!” Letting go of Harry, Teddy rounded on Clint with a small pout on his face. “Mr. Clint can I please have my present?”

Clint chuckled and reached to grab the box and slid it over to Teddy before turning to look at Harry, “I hope he likes it, I wasn’t too sure what to get and Stark wasn’t any kind of help.”

Chuckling Harry waved him off, “I’m sure whatever it is he’ll like. He’s actually pretty easy to shop for, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Giving a sheepish smile Clint turned to focus on Teddy when he heard the soft gasp the little boy let out. He waited to see how the four year old reacted, silently hoping that Harry was right about Teddy like it. When he noticed the bright smile on the small face Clint let out a relieved breath, thankful it went ok.

“Well Teddy what did he get you and what do you say?”

Teddy beamed at his dad and held up the box showing Harry that Clint had gotten him a small training bow, complete with 4 arrows, a quiver and a target. Harry raised an eyebrow at the archer but never lost his smile, so Clint figured he was safe.

The archer was surprised when he felt a small body crawl into his lap and hug him tightly, “Thanks Mr. Clint! I really like it!”

Smiling fondly Clint returned the hug and ruffled Teddy’s hair, “No problem kiddo, I’m glad you like it.”

Setting Teddy back on his feet when the little boy wiggled to be let down, Clint watched amused as the four year old picked up the box and rushed over to Harry. 

“Please Daddy! Can I look at it?”

Harry smiled and nodded reaching out for the box, opening it and pulling everything out. He helped Teddy set the quiver up and he grinned when Teddy immediately slipped it on, grabbed the bow and ran to Tony to show him.

“Thank you. He really likes it. Also I don’t think he would mind if you showed up to help teach him how to actually use it.”

Clint blinked in shock and looked at Harry, “You wouldn’t mind?”

The Brit just laughed and waved him off, “Not at all Clint, stop by when you want. And as for teaching Teddy, Tony said you are a master marksmen correct?” At Clint’s nod Harry just smiled and continued on in a confident voice, “Then who better to teach him?”

Clint laughed and smiled back at Harry, “Deal.”

Time after that passed quickly with lots of laughter and Clint felt at ease in a way he hadn’t felt in quite awhile. When it came time to leave Teddy made sure to hug both men and tell them thank you again for his gifts. Both Harry and Clint had to laugh when they exchanged numbers and saw Tony pouting playfully, whining about having to share Harry now. Giving out final hugs the two Avengers headed back out toward the tower.

“Well Barton… what cha think?”

Clint rolled his and snorted slightly, “Yeah I get it Tony, it’s really easy to understand why you wanted to keep them hidden. I won’t tell anyone.”

Sighing thankfully Tony clapped Clint on the shoulder once and picked up his pace, stepping in front of the archer; never noticing the smirk stretched across the man’s face.

Clint just shoved his hands in his pocket and smirked at Stark’s back. _Well I said I wouldn’t tell the rest of the team… but that’s not all I can do._

If Tony had looked back at that moment he might have been a little worried about what Clint was planning.

* * *

* * *

Clint smiled to himself as he pulled out his phone and dialed Harry’s number. He sat back waiting for the Brit to answer, thinking how he was gonna get his plan to work. He jumped slightly at the exasperated voice that came over the phone.

“Teddy put that down, it’s not a toy.” The archer smiled at the heavy sigh before Harry finally greeted him brightly. “Hello Clint.” 

“Hey Harry, I just wanted to see if you were busy today?”

Harry hummed in thought for a moment before telling Clint no.

“Well Tony wanted me to ask if you wanted to come over for lunch? He’s in a meeting or he would have called himself.”

“Oh… Um yeah… that sounds lovely. I’ll get Teddy cleaned up and then we’ll head over, he’s been begging to see you again so he could practice with you.”

Clint winced slightly at lying to Harry but he knew this would be the only way for them all to meet. If Tony had the choice Harry would have never met any of them. So plastering on a bright smile and making sure his voice was light he laughed.

“That’s no big deal Harry, he’s been picking up on it really quickly. So I’ll see you in a few minutes, yeah?”

After getting an affirmative they hung up and Clint dropped his smile, hoping that this wouldn't end too badly. _Sorry Harry._

* * *

Harry parked at the tower and came around to help Teddy out of the car, grabbing his quiver and bow. He took the small hand in his own and the two walked in heading straight for the elevator. He let Teddy hit the button for the floor Clint told them to head to and leaned back against the wall. He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous to finally meeting everyone else. Tony had told him stories about them all and he hoped they all at least got along with Teddy.

Finally reaching the floor Harry grabbed Teddy’s hand again and led him out to where he could hear Clint’s voice, frowning slightly at the raised voices he could hear.

* * *

Clint sighed as sat at the table trying to figure out a way to get the rest of the team up quickly to meet Harry. He bit his lip as an idea popped into his head, trying to decide if it would work. Deciding to go with it he stood and called out for Jarvis.

“Hey Jarvis can you call a ‘Code 42’ and tell everyone to meet up here?”

_”Of course Mr.Barton, what shall I tell them it pertains too?”_

“Don’t tell them anything. Just let them know to come as soon as they can. I know Tony’s in a meeting and Bruce is working on something.”

_”Right away Sir.”_

Groaning softly he stood to pace a bit, even if he was quite proud of himself for thinking of the ‘Code 42’. It was a call for a briefing and normally sent everyone to one of the conference so they could discuss the newest threat or whatever. He looked up when Natasha was the first one to come in and he sent a cheeky wave at her as she sat at the table. He grinned brightly when she just rolled her eyes at him.

Next to enter was Thor, the large man yelled out a greeting and dropped heavily into the seat next to Natasha. She just rolled her eyes again when Thor started talking about the random things he found on the ‘all knowing Google machine’.

Steve trailed in next with a serious look on his face and took the chair at the head of the table before turning to look at them. 

“Bruce said he’s about halfway through with what he’s doing, maybe 5 to 10 minutes.”

Clint nodded and sat back down so he could face everyone. This could go one of two ways... and he was really hoping it would go in the good way.

“So I called everyone so we could discuss something before they get here.”

Seeing their confused looks he continued on and smiled when no one interrupted him, “So as we all know Tony has been disappearing randomly and no matter how stealthy Nat or I are we always lose him. Not this last time though… I know where he’s been going.”

Steve groaned slightly and dropped his head into his hands, trying to decide how annoyed at Clint he should be for calling them like this. He dutifully ignored Thor’s interested hum and how Natasha leaned forward. 

“He’s been leaving to meet up with someone.”

Natasha made a victorious noise in the back of her throat and smirked smugly. The Thunder God just continued to stare at Clint when the man smiled.

“Barton… enough.”

Clint frowned at Steve, trying not to pout, “But Steve! He’s been hiding them from us… he even managed to lose Nat when she followed him. Aren't you the least bit curious as to who he’s been sneaking off to see?”

“No.”

Clint finally gave into the urge to pout and threw his hands into the air, “Come on Cap, it’s been MONTHS and…”

Steve stood abruptly and narrowed his eyes down at Clint, “Enough, Barton! What Stark does in his own time is of no concern to us.”

Natasha and Thor leaned back in their chair interested to see how this was going to work out. It was rare that Cap got this angry at Clint, the two normally got along rather well. 

“Steve… really? You didn’t think it was at all strange that he was twitchy and staying out all day during a Sci Fi marathon… coming home with muffins…. FRESH muffins!?”

“Seriously, Barton!” 

Clint jerked back slightly at the yell, Cap hardly ever actually yelled. He was just about to try and backtrack when a happy shriek was heard down the hall; and a small ball of energy darted straight at the archer.

He kneeled just in time to catch the little four year old that leapt at him with an excited yell of ‘Clint’. He smiled brightly and held Teddy closer, looking the way the little boy had run from. Spotting Harry he waved the man inside with a small sheepish smile when he noticed that the Brit looked a bit wary.

Walking into the room he came to stand next to Clint and gave the man a small hug, shaking his head slightly at Teddy. The four year old was snuggling deeply into Clint’s chest and didn’t look to be moving at all. Emerald eyes then glanced at the other people in the room and sent a shy smile toward them.

“Hello, I’m Harry.”

Natasha was the first to recover and gave the stranger a tiny smile, bowing her head in greeting. “Natasha Romanova”

Thor spoke next in his booming voice, “Greetings friend of Hawkeye, I am Thor.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he glanced at Clint silently asking if the man was serious, seeing the man nod Harry bowed slightly at the waist, “It is an honor to meet you, Son of Odin.”

The Asgardian sent Harry a pleased look and bowed in return, “The honor is mine.”

Harry turned his attention to the final man and bit his lip slightly, knowing that this was the man who was yelling at Clint.

Seeing the wary look in those emerald eyes Steve smiled in reassurance before holding his hand out, “Steve Rogers.”

The Brit shook the offered hand quickly and smiled lightly before turning to run a hand through Teddy’s hair.

“This is my son, Teddy.”

When he heard his name Teddy smiled brightly and waved at everyone. He then turned to focus on Clint once more, “Clint, can we practice now?”

Laughing the archer ruffled the little boy’s black hair, “In a bit we can kiddo, I promise.”

Pouting slightly Teddy nodded wiggling slightly to be put down. When his feet touched the ground he wandered over to Thor and tugged lightly on the highest place he could reach, which happened to be the man’s pants. When the giant man looked down at him with a small smile, Teddy held his arms out to be picked up. 

Thor glanced at Harry making sure it was okay and lifted the small body into his arms when Harry nodded. He blinked slightly when he felt a small pulse of strange energy from the kid and glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye. Silently thinking it strange he was pulled from his thoughts when a quiet voice spoke up.

“Mr.Thor, are you really Thor?”

Chuckling softly Thor nodded, “Yes little one, I am indeed Thor.”

“Wow… um… if it’s not too much trouble can I see Mjölnir?”

“Indeed you may young one!” Thor held his arm out to the side, silently calling the hammer to him and beamed brightly at the surprised gasp when Mjölnir flew into his waiting palm. 

Teddy’s jaw dropped as he reached a shaking hand out run a gentle finger over the side of the hammer and giggled in excitement. He couldn’t believe it… he was actually getting to touch Mjölnir in real life. This may be the best thing ever he thought wildly.

Harry was in mild shock himself, he’d read stories about the mythic hammer but he never thought he’s see the actual thing in real life. It was mildly humbling. Seeing that Teddy was occupied he turned back to Clint and raised an eyebrow.

“When will Tony be here and what did you have in mind for lunch?”

Clint glanced at the clock, checking the time, then turned back to Harry with a shrug, “Any minute now. And fajitas...Tony said you make amazing fajitas.”

Smirking at Clint, Harry wandered over to the fridge to make sure they had everything before pulling things out. He went about opening cabinets trying to see where everything was before he started cooking. He laughed brightly when he heard Teddy’s shout of excitement; he really did love his Dad’s fajitas!

Tony chose that minute to shuffle into the kitchen, ignoring the rest of the Avengers, mumbling about boring meetings and idiots. He wouldn’t even bother going to those damn meeting if Pepper hadn’t threatened to castrate him. He had agreed rather quickly after that, he needed those parts of himself, thank you very much.

Still pouting he finally turned to the team and grunted in greeting, “Where’s Banner?”

Steve smiled fondly at Tony, he really was too cute when he was annoyed. “He’s in the lab, said he'd be up soon.”

Nodding Tony headed right toward the coffee pot, not noticing Harry’s amused look as he strode right for the machine.

Inhaling deeply Tony took a large drink, uncaring of the scalding temperature. He turned to lean against the counter when he finally noticed Harry.

“The fuck are you doing here?”

Harry reared back as if slapped, his jaw working to say something but nothing came out. He lowered his eyes, staring at the floor and spoke in a soft voice.

“I’m sorry, Clint called. If you don’t want us here we can leave.”

Tony’s jaw dropped at the insecure voice and ignored the the harsh glare Barton sent his way. Setting the cup on the counter he reached out to touch Harry and almost whined in distress when Harry flinched slightly. Ignoring it Tony grabbed Harry in a tight hug.

“No Pixie, don’t flinch from me. And that’s not what I meant, you know that. It’s just I didn’t want you to meet them yet.”

Harry kept his eyes firmly on the floor and whispered so softly that his words almost went unheard.

“Are you ashamed of Teddy and I? Did you not want to be seen around me?”

Giving into the urge to whine, Tony tightened his arms around Harry and shook his head harshly. He was just about to deny what Harry said when a quiet voice, filled with tears spoke up next.

“Do you not like us anymore? I promise to be good.”

The genius snapped his head toward Teddy still in Thor’s arms and all but shouted no. He absently noticed Natasha glaring at him harshly, silently demanding that he fix this. Hugging Harry tightly once more Tony rushed to Teddy and snatched him from Thor.

“Oh no Teddy. You know I adore you both. I’m sorry, I was just surprised.”

Harry looked up finally and bit his bottom lip. Tony was still hugging Teddy tightly to his chest but his eyes were focused on Harry. A relieved sigh slipped past Harry’s lips and he smiled gently at Tony. 

Seeing that Harry was calming down Tony slumped in relief. He was honestly surprised at his own reaction to the situation, but he couldn’t honestly care. He had felt this deep need to wipe the devastation on both their faces as quickly as possible. Walking over to Harry he tossed an arms over the small shoulders and pulled him closer. He was still ignoring the shock on the others faces.

The other Avengers watched the three in varying degrees of shock. Clint was surprised at how open Tony was being with them in the room, but not at Tony’s reaction. Natasha just raised an eyebrow at the scene, silently wondering if the two really were dating. Thor was watching Harry closely with a cautious eye. He had felt a small surge of power when the green eyed adult thought Tony was ashamed of them, it felt similar to a power he had felt before. Steve didn’t quite know what to feel at the moment. He was surprised slightly when he felt a pang of jealousy when Tony pulled Harry into an embrace, holding the man tightly. He was also shocked at Tony’s reaction to Teddy, it was odd to see the genius so open.

Harry smiled slightly up at Tony and gently removed himself from the embrace to start working on lunch. He figured Tony would need time to cuddle Teddy to reassure him that everything was ok, so he left them too it. 

He was just about to put the meat on the heat when another man entered the kitchen. He stopped dead when he felt the raw power coming from the stranger. It reminded him slightly of Remus and he couldn’t stop the pang in his heart at the thought. Collecting himself, he smiled at the new comer and walked over to shake his hand when he looked at him curiously.

“Harry Smith.”

* * *

Bruce stretched his back out, releasing a groan at the soft pop. He strode toward the elevator and headed straight for the kitchen, where he knew the others were.

When he reached the room he paused at the odd sight that met him. Tony was seated at the table, a small boy resting in his lap clutching tightly at the man’s shirt. Stark was smiling fondly down at the toddler, who was babbling and gesturing wildly. He heard Thor’s name more than once, obviously the kid was excited about meeting the Thunder God.

The remainder of the Avengers were seated around the table smiling at the pair, or jumping in the conversation with amusement. Clint seemed to know the kid well and was babbling right along with him, reminding him every once in awhile about needing to practice.

It was the last person in the room that caught his eye, he was a little on the short side with longish black hair. When the stranger turned around Bruce blinked in surprise at the bright emerald eyes that met his. The man was definitely attractive, there was no doubt about it.

He smiled automatically when the stranger held a hand out and a soft British voice passed through those lips.

“Harry Smith.”

“Bruce Banner.”

Bruce reached a hand out and grasped the offered hand. The moment he felt Harry’s hand touched his he stiffened minutely as The Other Guy shifted in the back of his mind. He didn’t seem scared or angry...just intrigued. Releasing the smaller hand he unconsciously took a step forward, trying to figure out what it is that had the other one on alert and he spoke without thinking.

“What are you?” 

 

 

 

 

 

{1}The information for the Sea Goats was taken directly from this website: http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/capricorn-goat.html Those were not my words they were just the best I could find to describe the animal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!!! After 8 fucking chapters they finally meet!!!


	9. Monkey See Monkey Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the cat's out of the bag.... And Clint has a what....?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....... thank you thank you thank you for sticking around. My Wife and I just moved across the country and it took longer than expected to get settled. But now I should be back on track to get chapters written and posted. So whooooooooo!!!!!
> 
> THANK YOU!!
> 
> So it's a little short but at least it's something......

_What are you?_

The question shocked Harry to the core for a moment and he didn’t notice Tony rushing to his side, a worried look on his face. He opened his mouth to try and say something but before he could speak a word, another voice chimed in.

“I was curious about that myself… You feel like my brother yet not. Are you one of the Magic Users of Midgard?”

Wide green eyes shifted to Thor as the Asgardian stood to the side, arms crossed over his chest. Harry chanced a glance at the others and winced at some of the looks he was getting. Clint was watching him with guarded eyes, Natasha had slipped back and now had her handgun in her lowed grip and Steve was just watching with narrowed eyes that were flicking between Harry and Tony. Turning to Bruce, Harry was surprised that the man had an embarrassed flush running up his neck to the tips of his ears. 

Tony slid up next to Harry and gently handed Teddy over to his dad before moving to stand in front of the smaller man. Holding his hands up in a placating manner and let his eyes flick between them all. Taking a deep breath Tony decided to go ahead and tell the others as little as he could about Harry, wanting the Brit to be able to go into deeper detail if he wanted too. 

“Look, Calm your shit…. This is my house and I’m not gonna have you attack my friend. I’m about to tell a long story in about six or seven sentences so listen well…..

Harry is the one that helped out at the zoo all those months ago. I found him about a week after that in a cafe before we went back to his place. I was curious so don’t bitch at me about following an unknown. We talked and I found out about his powers and then he helped me with a couple of things. I adore this man and his kid and you have something bad to say…. then grab your shit and say it on the way out.”

Brown eyes flicked to each Avenger letting them see how serious he was about that last statement, letting them all know he wouldn’t back down from this. Taking a deep breath he looked at the archer, a silent plea in his eyes, “Clint you met him before this….. he’s not Loki.”

The archer let his gaze move from Tony to Harry and couldn’t help but sigh at the worry in those green eyes. Dropping back in his seat Clint turned to face Natasha, nodding slightly to the woman at the question in her eyes. 

Harry released the breath he was holding when Natasha put her gun away, and sent a shaky smile at Clint; wincing slightly at the wary look he received in return. He gently set Teddy back on the floor and couldn’t help but smile softly when the little boy ran to Clint and started tugging on his arm.

“Clint you promised! You said you would teach me.”

Looking up at Harry, he waited until he got a nod from the Brit before snatching up the giggling boy and marched over to grab the toy bow. When they were out of the kitchen, but still within hearing distance, Clint sat on the ground and started going over the proper way to hold the bow. He frowned slightly when his hearing aids picked up the start of Harry’s story; for some reason he knew this wouldn’t be a happy tale.

* * *

Harry bit his lip softly and looked around the kitchen at the others remaining. Seeing mostly curious looks he sighed and moved to take a seat at the table, knowing they wanted answers. He couldn’t help but be slightly relieved when Tony dropped into the chair next him. He waited patiently for the rest of the Avengers to return to their seats before speaking in a tired voice, however another voice spoke first.

“Before anything else is said I feel I need to apologize to you. I hadn’t mean for my words to come out the way they did.”

Harry blinked curiously at Bruce and couldn’t help but grin at the blush that was still overriding the man’s face. Leaning forward he propped an elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. Taking a glance at the others in the room Harry’s grin fell pretty quickly.

“It’s fine Dr. Banner, it was a surprise to randomly meet me here….. So… How about I explain some things and if you have any questions when I’m done I’ll answer them if I can?”

The remaining Avengers all glanced at each other before deciding to let Steve answer for them all. The blonde Avenger watched Harry with slightly narrowed eyes, taking in the nervous twitching, how the Brit’s eyes glanced toward the room with Clint and the child, and the subtle way Harry was leaning into Tony; like he expected the genius to be able to protect him. Letting his eyes soften slightly he looked into uncertain green eyes, and nodded to Harry letting the Brit know that would work for all of them.

Harry took a deep breath before telling a muted version of his history, he didn’t even bother mentioning anything from before the last few months of the war. He kept his focus on the table in front of him knowing that it would be harder to get through the whole thing if he was watching their facial expressions. 

The Avengers stayed quiet as he spoke, all wearing different expressions of disbelief on their faces. Steve glanced at Tony and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if Harry was telling the truth, and blue eyes widened when Stark just nodded once. The Hero’s all watched as the raven haired male continued to almost fold in on himself as he explained who he was. 

Once Harry finished talking he continued to keep his focus on the table and bit his lip, waiting for anyone to say anything. He sent Tony a small smile when the older man ran a hand up and down along his spine. The genius smirked and sent a cheeky wink his way, causing Harry to let a soft chuckle slip out. Taking a deep breath Harry raised his head to glance at the Avengers around the table, and he couldn’t stop the laughter that slipped out when he noticed the expressions they each wore.

Natasha was watching him through narrowed eyes, a small frown etched across her face. It was clear she was wasn’t happy; but what was running through her mind… he didn’t know; nor was he sure he wanted to. Thor was leaning against the wall with a raised eyebrow, and when he noticed Harry’s wary eyes on him the giant man just sent a small smile the Brit’s way. Steve’s eyebrows were furrowed in thought and his blue eyes were focused on the table in front of him; his mind running over everything they just learned. 

Bruce however is the one that kept Harry’s focus the longest as the scientist felt a small about of kinship with the small Englishman. He knew how it felt to run from people who were supposed to be trustworthy, to run from people who were scared of the person you became. Kind brown eyes met shakey green and he sent the smaller man a gentle smile, even The Other Guy was surprisingly quiet at the moment. 

Harry let a small sigh slip and folded his hands tightly in his lap, he opened his mouth as if to ask a question only to snap his mouth shut at the sound of a yelp coming from the other room. Quickly standing from the chair the Brit turned to rush toward the doorway when a small bundle shot toward him, ramming into his legs. 

“I didn’t do it on purpose! I swear it was an accident!”

* * *

Clint half focused on the boy in front of him, correcting his stance or arm position when he noticed. He was much more focused on the conversation in the kitchen. He couldn’t believe what the kid had gone through, that was a rough life. 

He couldn’t help but understand why Tony was so protective of Harry and Teddy. The kid had lived a shitty life and just wanted to be normal. 

He was so focused on his own thoughts that the archer didn’t notice when Teddy’s eyes narrowed at him, with a fierce pout on his tiny face. He didn't hear the warning in the small English voice as Teddy called his name again….. and again.

He did notice when the small bow was thrown to the ground, and looking up at Teddy his eyes widened when it appeared that a small wind storm was swirling around the tiny body. 

“You were ignoring me….. I thought you were gonna teach me….. but you’re just being mean.”

Clint sighed and stood, walking to pick up the discarded bow. Turning back to Teddy he holds it out to the four year old and lifts it slightly out of reach when the child reaches for it. He fights back a smirk at the frown that works it’s way across Teddy’s face and lifts it again when the toddler jumps for it again. 

Teddy’s face gets a determined look that makes Clint raise an eyebrow, waiting to see what the boy was going to do. He snorts when a tiny body flies at him and latches onto his arm, trying to reach for the bow.

“Alright Monkey, I’ll give it back.”

Clint’s eyes widen when Teddy’s eyes get a small glow and the wind from before kicks back into high gear, swirling around the child.

“I’m not a monkey…. YOU ARE!”

Clint yelps as a light surrounds him for a moment, and he blinks back the spots in his eyes as it clears. He looks down at Teddy and frowns at the slight worried look on the small face. 

“Kid…”

He frowns slightly as Teddy starts shaking slightly and backing away from him. Clint takes a step forward, only to stop dead when he feels something brush against his leg. Turning his head slightly he looks behind and instinctively lets out a loud shout. He turns back to Teddy in time to see him running full speed toward the kitchen.

_“I didn’t do it on purpose! I swear it was an accident!”_

* * *

Harry looked down at the trembling form of Teddy and quickly knelt down, forcing the small boy to look him in the eyes. He frowned when he noticed the actual worry and fear on the small face.

“What happened Cub?”

Teddy opened his mouth to answer but quickly snapped it shut when Clint rushed into the room with a panicked look on his face. The four year old ‘eeped’ and rushed to hide behind Harry, small hands gripping the back of his father's shirt tightly. 

Emerald eyes watched Clint closely, seeing the wide eyes staring back at him. Harry cleared his throat and stood slowly, keeping Teddy behind him. 

“Clint….. What’s……? What is that?”

Clint flinched slightly and reached behind himself like he was trying to hide something. However, after a moment he sighed and lowered his head. Bringing his arms back around to the front of his body, he slowly turned and showed the room his back.

Harry tried, he really did try to hold back his laughter but Tony made it nearly impossible when the genius was doubled over in laughter; his head resting on the table. 

“He has a tail!!”

Harry sent Tony a scolding look and focused back on Clint. The archer had a long light brown monkey’s tail protruding from his tailbone, that was slowly wrapping itself around his leg. Slowly taking a step forward, Harry reached out to try to touch the new addition only to jerk back when he was blocked by a solid mass of muscle. Looking up into blue eyes, Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly backed away to where he had been standing.

“I’m not letting you get closer until I know what happened just now.”

Biting his lip Harry turned to look at the others in the room and flinched slightly at the looks he was getting again. The only one who looked unconcerned in any way was Thor who was leaning against the wall, just observing the others. 

Taking a deep breath Harry turned back to Steve and squared his shoulders, “That would be accidental magic. It starts around the time a magical child turns 4. They get bursts of magic that are a reaction to emotional stimuli. Teddy normally changes the colors of things all the time. He even turned Logan’s claws hot pink once.”

Steve narrowed his eyes at the smaller man, “And we should trust your explanation why? The last time we met someone with magic they tried to take over the world and turn us all into mindless minions.” 

“Woah there Capsicle…. I already told you once to watch what you say. Harry is not Loki and he isn’t here to overthrow the government. Did you not listen to a word that was said in his story? He saved the world from a megalomaniac bent on destruction.”

Harry opened his mouth but quickly snapped it shut with one look from Tony. 

“I don’t want to hear it Pixie, if he can’t see the difference between you guys then he’s not the man I thought he was.”

The Brit flinched at the pain he saw flash through Steve’s eyes and bit his lip slightly as the argument between the two of them started getting louder.

After almost ten minutes of Tony and Steve arguing Harry finally gave in to his frustration and stepped between the two, leveling a small glare at both of them.

“Enough! I am not your enemy. I am not here to cause trouble. I don’t really care that you have trust issues with me, I would expect that after everything that’s happened these last few years. But if you want your archer back to his original manufactured settings then I suggest you step aside so I can see exactly what Teddy did with his burst of magic.”

Harry’s small outburst brought out a whole new slew of arguments from everyone in the room, _Can all wizards just change people like this? Is it permanent? Is there anything magic can’t do against our will? Is there a way to stop magic? Is the brat gonna accidently turn someone into a toad, and have to be kissed to change back?_

Harry looked at Clint with a raised eyebrow and snorted as the Archer reached out for Natasha with pursed lips. _”Come on Tasha’....Give me a kiss, maybe that will help.”_

* * *

Bruce sat silently at the table watching as the Avengers and one Brit all argued with each other. He could agree with some of the things said, but at the same time he knew that Harry wasn’t like Loki. He was more amazed at how calm the Other Guy was being at the moment, like he felt no threat from Harry or Teddy. Sighing softly he debated on whether or not he wanted to intervene when he felt a small hand grab his pants.

Looking down he raised an eyebrow at the small body using him as a shield from the yelling. Slowly Bruce reached out a hand and placed it on Teddy’s hair and ran his fingers gently through the soft hair trying to calm the shaking child. When the small body inched closer with no fear of him, he reached to pick Teddy up and gently held the small boy to his chest.

When the yelling continued Bruce stood from his chair, running a comforting hand down the boys back and turned to glare at the ‘adults’ in the room.

“That’s enough. First off you’re all scaring him… Do remember he is a child.”

The other adults in the room all looked at Bruce when he spoke up and saw they were indeed scaring a four year old. Harry looked stricken at the thought of upsetting Teddy and Bruce slowly made his way to the boy’s father and handed him over. The doctor couldn’t help but be slightly surprised when the tiny hands remained clenched in his shirt, not wanting to leave his arms yet.

Bruce gave a small apologetic smile in Harry’s direction when the Brit let his arms drop to his sides. He tried to smile back at Bruce but the doctor could see the pain in those emerald eyes at Teddy not wanting to go back to his father just yet. 

Deciding to worry about that later Bruce turned back to the Avengers and sent them all a bored glare, “Steve, calm down. We need to let Harry look at Clint to fix what happened. He’s been alone with Tony all these months and nothing has happened….Let’s be honest Tony looks healthier than I’ve ever seen him.”

Ignoring Tony’s annoyed _’Hey’_ Bruce turned back to Harry, once again trying to hand over Teddy, and smiled when the boy latched onto his father and snuggled into his arms.

“Now...Harry, can you fix what happened?”

Nodding Harry strode toward Clint and this time wasn’t blocked from reaching the archer. 

“Yes I can reverse it. It’ll be like it was never there.”

“WAIT!!! Can I get some scans first…? I want to see how well it’s attached to him. Like is it just connected to his skin or is it actually attached to his nerves?” 

Harry rolled his eyes at Tony and turned back to Clint, who let out a yelp reaching for the tail that was now in a curious Tony’s hands.

“Woah… It is connected to nerves… he felt pain when I pinched him. Come on Barton you have to let me scan this. I mean seriously… how many time will I get this opportunity? I’ll even make you some new arrows.”

Harry reached over and smacked Tony’s hands causing him to release the tail and pout at Harry. Shaking his head he turned back to Clint.

“It’s up to you Clint. I can change it back now if you want.”

They all watched the archer as he thought over his options. Harry has his wand ready to reverse the spell and was about to reverse it anyways when he was met by an amused smirk from Clint.

“You can fix it later… I’ll keep it for now.”

“Uh...okay”

Amused Harry could only watch as Clint ran from the room mumbling about all the things he could do with a tail, and a fascinated Tony rushing after him demanding they go to the lab for x-rays.


End file.
